ABSTRACT

One of the safety paradigms discussed in Changing Safety’s Paradigms (McKinnon, 2007) is that safety is first.

That is a real safety myth and until we can move that paradigm from safety first to safety as important as, we will not make progress in loss reduction. In reality what is first in a country’s economy, what is first in the mining industry, the manufacturing industry, the service industry, and any other type of business? Money is first! Profits are first! Production is first! Employee attendance, dedication and outputs are first! Money and profits will always be first. Return on shareholders’ investments is first! Making a bigger profit is first! Tonnage, number of units, quality standards, a “better than the competitor’s product,” these are all what is first! Bigger, better, faster selling, that’s what’s first! (p. 15)

Unfortunately the prevention of accidents has challenged managers for many years, and to date no silver bullet has been discovered to provide a quick fix to safety problems in the workplace. Many attempts have been made to prevent accidental injuries and deaths, and the trend has been, as with human nature, to take the path of least resistance. Safety gimmicks and so-called safety programs have been introduced, and these have been bought into and accepted as the quick-fix solutions, but judging by the rising death and injury rates, have apparently failed.