This Can't End Well

It is my opinion that the single most important (and effective) thing that safety professionals do is "education & training." I'm not just talking about speaking at jobsite safety meetings, or teaching an OSHA 10 hour class, I'm also talking about the one-on-one training that occurs when we explain to a worker the reasons why he shouldn't stand on the top step of a ladder, or that his anchor point isn't adequate and then teach him/her to tie-off properly.

Or, we try to teach up - trying to explain to upper management the reason why we want to enforce a company rule that exceeds OSHA's minimum standard. Or how the safety program actually saves them money.

To that end, I am constantly on the look out for photos that help in that process. I always carry a camera (I think most safety pros do) and take lots of "how not to do it" photos, and a few "atta boy" photos. The most outrageous photos may win the "Nitwit of the Week" award. Many photos also appear in my powerpoint programs used in the classroom or at a refresher class in the job trailer. I also look for those humorous photos that often get e-mailed around to "spice up" my programs while getting a point across to attendees.

Well, a friend and fellow safety pro sent me one such photo last night. This photo will certainly make it into a section of my next OSHA 10 hour class. It's a great way to point out the importance of paying attention to what is going on around you because the other guy's behavior can have disasterous effects on your own health and safety.

I offer it below for your own use - I'm sure that you will find ways to use the photo and I'd be pleased if you would leave comments with other "captions" that you think might fit this photo as a training tool. Perhaps this is even a good photo for a "Motivational Poster."