Pat Cox on Safety

Many times, while discussing a KJ safety issue or infraction, people have mentioned that if you have worked for KJ for a while you probably have not been exposed to many, if any, serious injuries or accidents. A good thing.  But, by not witnessing such an event, workers may get too comfortable in the work environment and forget that construction is a dangerous business. An accident is never far away if forethought and care are not included in each and every task. This month a dose of reality, what can happen in less than a second when a 25 year carpenter was perhaps, too comfortable with the task at hand.  

Quote from the injured carpenter, taken from his accounting of the incident and his take on safety in general:

“Given simply that on any given work day there is always a non-zero probability of injury, it can be said that we go to work each day with a potential probability of injury near 100%. A low incidence of injury indicates consistent safe practice, and a bit of luck, but it also breeds a certain habituation to risk. Consistent safe practice can significantly diminish that near 100% probability, but habituation to risk again increases that probability: and the need to maintain productivity tends to increase habituation.”