Shortcuts Part 2
Everyone takes a shortcut at one time or another. You cross the street between intersections instead of using the crosswalk or jump a fence instead of using the gate. But in many cases, a shortcut can involve danger. If you have the habit of taking dangerous shortcuts, break it. At work, it can be deadly.
Earlier this year an employee was coming down stairs from a platform and rather than going straight down the steps, they stepped from the last one to their right onto a curb where they twisted their ankle severely. They were in a hurry and they took a shortcut.
In a recent near miss we had an employee walked over a set of roller conveyors rather than crossing 4 feet to their right where a walk plate was. They didn’t slip; they didn’t fall . . . at least not this time. Eventually they will. The supervisor counseled them when he saw the unsafe act, but it’s truly up to you. What is a shortcut worth.
Even if the job will only take a few minutes, it isn’t worth risking your safety and health for those few minutes. Wear personal protection to safeguard your body parts. Use proper, well-maintained equipment. Don’t improvise to save time. Ladders, steps, and walkways are built to insure your safety, as well as for your convenience.. The safest way isn’t always the shortest way, but it’s the surest way.