But it's funny how many people express concern over living costs and then ignore a very important factor in keeping costs at a minimum. I'm talking about safety. If you think that safety doesn't have much to do with the cost of living, you'd better listen to this:

On-the-job accidents in an average year cost the U.S. economy about 120 billion dollars.

That's a substantial drain on the economy and we all pay for it in our roles as taxpayers, wage earners and consumers. But each of us as an individual is the big loser when we're injured. This is why safety should be important to cost conscious people. It's not the only reason for being safe but it may be the only reason some people understand.

Safety is part of doing a good job. You can't get hurt and still do a good job. When an injury occurs, there's something wrong, and the injured person is the first to find out about it. There's pain. The paycheck may stop. The bills pile up and the table begins to get bare.

You might ask, if all this is true, then how come people ignore safety rules? There are many good answers to that but we'd all have to be psychiatrists to understand them. However, there are a few things that are quite obvious.

Accident-prone people are likely to break rules that they consider unimportant or contrary to their philosophy of life. This may be based on an overinflated sense of self-importance.

People who disregard safety rules may also be reckless, both on and off the job. They're confident that accidents always happen to the other person. They have manufactured a false sense of security.

As previously noted, there are many good reasons for being safe but you can narrow it all down to just one— yourself. You either play it safe, or you trust your luck. There is no in-between. You either make safety a part of your job or you become a chance-taker. And a chance-taker's working career can be short.

Hazards exist in many forms. We attempt to keep them at a minimum around here, and we try to send you home in good condition at the end of each work day. But we can only do it with your cooperation. You are important to this job or you wouldn't be here. But you're also important to your family and your community.

So don't be a loser. Treat safety with the respect it deserves. When you lose at the game of chance-taking, you lose big.

To request consultation education and training services, call: 517.322.1809

Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Consultation Education & Training Division
7150 Harris Drive, Box 30643
Lansing, MI 48909-8143
(517) 322-1809