Let me ask you something, how many times have you walked into your facility, heard the safety message, maybe even repeated Safety is our number one priority, and then went right back to doing the job the same way you always have? Not wrong, just familiar or normal. Because that’s where most of us operate, in the familiar and routine.

Just this week, at different facilities, I’ve heard about several incidents that remind us how dangerous familiar or routine can be. A loader slips inside a trailer and breaks his leg. An associate missteps stepping onto a dock plate and twists their ankle. Someone overextends and strains a muscle, and another hurts their back lifting. And even a safety trainer, someone who teaches safety, cuts their finger with a razor knife. Now think about that. That’s not a bad week. That’s a pattern in the industry. And patterns tell us something.

The Truth is that Injuries Aren’t Rare. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are millions of workplace injuries reported every year in the United States. In fact, over 2.6 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses are reported annually. Warehousing and transportation consistently rank among the highest injury rates. Sprains, strains, and tears make up the largest percentage of injuries. Let that sink in. The exact types of incidents we’re talking about today, slips, missteps, overreaching, lifting injuries, those aren’t uncommon. They’re the majority.

Let’s take it a step further. According to the National Safety Council, the average cost of a medically consulted injury can be over $40,000. Lost workdays, productivity, and indirect costs can multiply that number significantly. Back injuries alone are one of the leading causes of missed workdays.

And I want us to realize that cost isn’t just on the company. It’s on us too. Because that injury affects our income, which in turn affects our family, and can affect our quality of life. And sometimes, it doesn’t go away.

I’m not certain these are training failures, I’m concerned that their behavior gaps. I want to think that most facilities today are doing the right things, orientation programs, strong startup safety meetings, enforcing PPE use, near miss reporting, and safety signage everywhere. So why are people still getting hurt? I believe safety doesn’t fail in training. It hurts a little to say this but I think it fails in our behavior. It fails in the moment when we decide to rush, when we reach instead of step and when we just go ahead and lift instead of asking for help. And that my friends are where incidents are born.

I know, and I hate to know it, but safety isn’t always the only voice in our head. It competes with production numbers, someone always saying hurry up, fatigue, maybe even bad habits, and sometimes even pride. We tell ourselves I’ve got this. It’ll only take a second. I’ve done this a hundred times. And all those small decisions? Well, that’s why we’re talking today right!

Remember a few weeks ago when we were talking about complacency? Repetition builds skill. But it also builds comfort. And comfort leads to complacency. According to safety studies across multiple industries, a large percentage of workplace injuries occur among experienced employees, not new hires. Why? Because we stop checking conditions, we stop thinking about our movement or our ergonomic training and we trust the environment too much. And that’s when we act all surprised that something happens.

Lets talk about a few of those scenarios I mentioned earlier. First up, Slipping in a Trailer. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports that slips, trips, and falls account for a significant portion of workplace injuries, especially in environments like warehousing. Trailer floors are unpredictable. condensation, debris, uneven surfaces. every step has to be intentional. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve nearly fell sliding in the cooler area on the condensation, or nearly twisting my ankle on a piece of broken pallet.

And then those pesky dock plates and the transition points, the dock to the trailer. A misaligned plate or a rushed step can turn into twisted ankles, maybe a fall or even long term injuries.

Our next concern is overextending and reaching, things we’re coached on all the time! Ergonomic studies show that lifting outside your power zone significantly increases the risk of injury. Remember our power zone? Between your shoulders and your knees. Anything outside of that reduces strength and is going to increase strain, raising the risk of injury.

And I mentioned the back injuries earlier. Back injuries are one of the top causes of lost time incidents in the workplace. And they often don’t come from one big lift. They can come from repetition, poor form, and a lot of small mistakes over time.

And the razor cut or knife injury? Hand injuries are among the most common workplace incidents. And they often come down to us just rushing and getting in a hurry or improper use of the tool, and as with the safety trainers incident, a flat out loss of focus and not paying attention. Maybe he got comfortable or what did we say earlier, oh, complacent. His incident showed us that even experienced individuals are at risk.

When we get our first light industrial position we start hearing about ergonomics. It’s been explained to me as the career saver. I’m always talking about the long game in this industry, and ergonomics, when engineered, observed, worked, and practiced can keep us in that game for a long long time. Ergonomics isn’t about comfort. To me it’s about longevity. It’s about being able to work today, work tomorrow, and still feel good doing it years from now. We have to remember that one bad habit repeated over time, can become one big problem.

So whats missing or what are we doing wrong? Even with all the right systems in place, things still happen. I feel there’s a combination of opportunities going on here. First, I want to say ownership. Safety isn’t the company’s responsibility alone. It’s ours. No one else feels your injury but you.

And then engagement. Do you feel we’re listening to, or just attending all those meetings and shift startup get togethers? Because safety only works if it sticks, if we apply what we’ve learned. I have to say that speaking up is another big one for me. A real safety culture is going to sound something like hold up there a minute, that’s not safe, and let’s reset that machine, and hey, get some help lifting that. Our silence doesn’t prevent injuries. Action does, our actions do.

And in my humble opinion leaders set the tone. If safety is optional, people will treat it that way. If safety is enforced, people will respect it. It should be just that simple.

But its not I guess, so how do we make it better? If everything is in place at our facility, well, I think it’s on us.

I think we need to slow down, but do it strategically. Not moving necessarily slower, but moving smarter and constantly focused is what I’m getting at I guess. A few seconds of awareness can prevent months of recovery.

We need to think before we move. As equipment operators we’ve always heard look before moving the first inch. We’ll, as people we need to think before we move. Every step and every lift matters, every movement matters.

I think we need to make it personal. This isn’t about policy. This is about our life and livelihood. Oh, and here’s another pet peeve of mine. Why does everyone not use our companies near miss program? Doesn’t most everywhere have one? That’s a good question, please send me an email if your organization doesn’t have one or share why you do or don’t use it if so. I’ll pick a few answers and share them with our group. I know of a couple of facilities that have a weekly drawing for a free lunch card. You’re entered every time you fill out a quick electronic form and hit submit. Not as many associates participate as you’d think. I’ve heard things like I don’t want to rat out anybody, or that there business not mine. I hope that comes from the 1% and most of us realize we’re helping our peers not telling on them. We’re being paid, this isn’t school or on the streets. We’re protecting our friends and family. Anyway, near misses are warnings. Ignoring them is a choice.

And it is so important that companies recognize safe behavior. People repeat what gets noticed. It doesn’t cost much if anything to pat someone on the back and say good job! Even for a lead or supervisor or manager to speak up at the start up and recognize a job done well goes a long way.

At the end of the day, nobody remembers your case count, your productivity, and nobody is going to talk about how fast you moved. But you will remember an injury, a limitation going forward or a moment you wish you could redo.

Safety isn’t complicated. But it does require something from all of us. Awareness. Discipline. And ownership. Because safety? It’s not a poster. It’s not a meeting. It’s not even a program. It’s a decision. One you make every step. Every lift. Every single shift.

I’m Marty with Warehouse and Operations as a Career and I enjoyed talking a little safety culture with you today. Let’s all do our part, be safe at work and at home, take care of ourselves and the family! Y’all be safe out there.