A real safety plan involves awareness, action and accountability
By Dave Badger, Environment & Safety Manager, Cooper Equipment Rentals
He should have been wearing his blue vest to indicate he was new. That would have been a flag for everyone in the yard. He wasn’t, but it shouldn’t have stopped others from speaking up. A relatively new driver was picking up a telehandler forklift. He started backing it onto his truck … and it slipped off the side. What was a concussion for him was a learning opportunity for us.
People saw it happening, yet nobody stepped in. Nobody spoke up or helped guide him. They assumed he knew what he was doing. But assuming everyone is recognizing and evaluating the same hazards equally is risky. It’s how accidents happen. It wasn’t about training. It wasn’t about inexperience. It was about awareness — and action. More accurately, the lack of both.
And let’s be honest: That’s on all of us.
Until each person on the jobsite feels responsible not just for their own safety, but the safety of others, then none of us is safe.
We engage in potentially dangerous situations every day. Whether you’re on or off the jobsite, being aware of your surroundings isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a fundamental skill to mitigate risk and keep ourselves and others safe. And it’s a mindset.
You may have a safety plan in place, a few training sessions a year on equipment operation or updated standards and regulations. Health and safety calls it ‘situational awareness’ – on the jobsite it means staying sharp, knowing what’s going on and noticing what could go wrong.
Awareness is your best tool
Awareness is your first line of defence. An aware worker can recognize potential hazards, follow safety protocols and respond appropriately to emergencies. They’re not working at heights without fall protection gear, or operating machinery without the proper training. They’re more likely to notice when something is unsafe, or out of place, like a toolbox not put away, an electrical cord blocking a walkway, a strange sound coming from equipment.
Of course, policies, rules and best practices are great to have, but when we rely on them over our own intuition we can find ourselves in trouble.
Did one of those workers from the forklift situation sense something was about to happen and ignore it, thinking someone else would speak up? Maybe. On the jobsite we don’t always get second chances. Staying aware, trusting our gut, standing up and speaking up can be a matter of someone coming home safely … or not at all.
Take 10
Before you start a task, pause and take 10 seconds to actively observe your surroundings. Ask yourself: is it safe to proceed? Make note of anything that should be managed before you act. Encourage other workers to pause before moving onto a new task, especially those engaging in high-risk work.
Last year, we made Take 10 part of how we operate. Each worker is expected to stop, pause and examine their area for potential hazards, whether that’s unstable ground, obstructions, unsafe equipment or even changes in weather. Employees with untrained eyes must also complete a field level hazard assessment (FLHA), to make Take 10 a habit. Keeping everyone accountable is key. It means they are aware and ready to recognize potential hazards on the jobsite and know how to deal with them.
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To remind employees to Take 10, especially during Construction Safety Week, try inviting them to examine their surroundings and submit any risks or hazards they see. Consider a reward program for those with the most comprehensive list. The more we train and encourage people to take notice of their environment, the safer everyone will be.
This isn’t a once-a-year conversation
Safety month comes and goes each year, but the work doesn’t end there. It’s an everyday practice because there’s always more to be done.
When it comes to safety, you don’t rise to the occasion – you fall to your training. And your habits. So build them. Establish regular training sessions and best practices specific to your workplace to demonstrate safety as a top priority. Hold daily safety meetings or frequent toolbox talks to discuss real-life safety situations with your team. Remind them if they see something, to say something, and recognize them when they do.
Provide new workers with mentorship and support to help keep them engaged and accountable. Our new trainees go through a six-month mentorship program and wear blue vests so we can easily identify and support them when they need extra help. Listen and learn about the challenges other workers face, especially those just starting out. Better communication can help foster a culture of transparency and openness where everyone feels safe to speak up.
The benefits aren’t just short-term
Safety plans are critical. But they’re useless unless they’re practiced and embedded into your culture. Workers will inevitably make mistakes, but it’s how we prevent and correct these mistakes that matters.
It’s a shift from seeing safety as another box to check to one where everyone is invested and committed to protecting each other. It’s easy to think “that’s not my job” or “they’ve got it handled.” Especially if you’re experienced. Experience isn’t a reason to tune out. It’s a reason to lock in. Newer employees are watching and learning.
The next time your gut tells you something’s off, or you see someone struggling, don’t be the one standing there with your hands in your pockets. Be the one who steps in, before it’s too late
