A lot of time and effort is spent every single day to keep workplaces incident-free and employees healthy. There are many different challenges to address in order to achieve this goal. Numerous things could go wrong during a work task or throughout the day that may result in injury. Because of this, it is important to realize that workplace safety is achieved through a combination of multiple efforts, not just a single action or safeguard.

The "Good Enough" Mindset is Not Enough

Some individuals adopt a "good enough" mindset when implementing safeguards during their work tasks. When these individuals set up and carry out their work, they often do the bare minimum or just above it. For example, they may believe that simply wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) is sufficient for the task at hand. In reality, three or four additional safeguards may be necessary to ensure the task is performed safely.

Safety is a Combination of Many Actions

Having a "good enough" mindset leaves workers exposed to potential hazards. However, taking the time to implement multiple safeguards significantly reduces risk. For any single hazard, multiple safeguards should be in place to ensure that if one fails, others remain to protect workers.

To illustrate this point, consider a scenario involving work on a scaffold. One of the key hazards in this situation is the risk of objects being dropped from the scaffold to a lower level. There are several safeguards that can mitigate this hazard, and the more that are in place, the less likely an injury will occur. Some key safeguards include:

• Eliminating as many objects, tools, and equipment as possible from the scaffold work platform.
• Ensuring proper toe boards and guardrails are installed around the work platform.
• Tying off tools or using a container to store tools while working on the scaffolding.
• Eliminating foot traffic below the work area.
• Placing signs or barricades to prevent people from walking below the scaffolding into the line of fire of a dropped object (Controlled Access Zone - CAZ).
• Installing proper netting or roofing to catch any objects that may fall from the work area above.

If only one or two of these safeguards are used, the likelihood of an object falling and striking someone below increases significantly.

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Consider how many safeguards are available for a single hazard, as demonstrated in the scaffold example. Reflect on your current approach to mitigating workplace hazards. Are you relying on just one safeguard for a complex or serious hazard? What additional actions can you take to reduce the risk of injury for yourself and those around you? Implementing multiple safeguards is key to ensuring a safer work environment for everyone.

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