Think Safe

It always interests me the attitude we have to safety in the workplace. The thing I find amusing though is the hypocrisy that always raises it's ugly head.

A couple of fer-instances. Firstly driving south on the Auckland Motorway last week and there is an ACC company Car all decked out with the "Think Safe" logos and promo graphics all over it. Across the boot: "Only a fool breaks the two second rule"..... While following the car ahead by about two car lengths at a hundred klicks!!!

The other is to do with Corporate attitudes. These days I drive chip liners, a Mack to be precise. Bulk cartage is a game that has real tight margins, I'm actually amazed that anyone makes any money at it, given the cutthroat pricing, the constant attention of the CVIU and Regulators and Idiot Safety Rules.

The two major sites I deliver to are CHH Kinlieth and Norske Skog / Tasman in Kawerau. Now there is a major difference between the two sites when it comes to safety. At Kinleith it's ingrained into the culture. People think safe and look out for each other. While there are rules they are enforced only when necessary with a large dollop of common sense. Result a really excellent Safety record considering the hazardous nature of the workplace.

At Kawerau however the emphasis is on a regime of enforcing strict adherence to the rules while the Mill owners operate and continue to build more and more hazardous conditions. Our company has an average of four incident reports a month and yet Tasman says that it's not their fault and it's impossible to do anything about it!

If that's the case then their engineers are thick because I designed a new system in my head in a couple of hours on the way home.

Nope in this particular case it's all about cost cutting at the expense of the safety of the people on the lowest rung of the ladder: The Contractor's employees. More on this in the future and I'll see if I can collect some pics