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I grew up in the 1960’s when the original Superman
series was on television every day. Like most young boys of that time, I wished
that I could have supernatural powers. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have the
ability to jump tall buildings in a single bound, be faster than a speeding
bullet and be more powerful than a locomotive. Hours and hours of play time were
devoted to playing Superman.
When I got older and came of age to drive and hanging out with other friends, I
went through a transition stage. No longer was I listening to the good advice
offered by my Mother, instead my friends became the major influence in my life.
We all vied to convince each other how that we weren’t Mama’s Boys. Taking risks
was a part of the passing rights to manhood. No one wanted to be called a sissy.
We were young and full of life and we all thought we would live forever.
Accidents happened to other people. For some reason we felt immune to the normal
laws of physics. Every time we took a risk and got away with it our belief grew
stronger. As we grew older and started to go to work, we carried this attitude
with us. In fact, all young people have that attitude, I call it the Superman
Syndrome. It affects our behavior and attitude.
As we get older, we come to realize that there is Kryptonite out there. We
aren’t as immune from accidents or injuries as we once believed. Unfortunately,
it can be a slow process but eventually we all come to realize that Superman
Can’t Fly.
Injury statistics show that one third of all new employees will have an accident
within the first year of their employment. If employees are left on their own
they often make decisions that put their safety at risk. The more often they are
exposed, the more likely an injury will take place. They develop bad safety
habits which become repeatable over and over again. After a short while, they
perform the act without even thinking about it. Too many learn the hard way that
Superman Can’t Fly.
Even older employees aren’t immune. Behavior learned early in life can carry on
throughout life. I have investigated dozens of serious accidents where I have
heard from the injured employee that I have done this 10,000 times.
Unfortunately, it only takes once and your life can change forever.
As an employer, it is important to understand the dynamics of Superman Syndrome
and how to impact employee’s thinking and attitudes. Safety is a Behavioral
Science and it will only be successful if you can get employees to perform every
task in a safe manner.
That starts with the following:
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Safe Job Procedures
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Effective Employee
Training
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Understanding Why
Employees Behave the Way they Do
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Constant Follow Up and
Observations
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Correction of Unsafe
Conditions
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Correction of Unsafe
Work Behavior
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Enforcement, Enforcement
& Enforcement
Companies with good Safety Programs realize this.
They understand that Safety Behavior can be molded and it starts when an
employee first starts with a company. It also starts with the understanding that
we all have Superman Syndrome. Safety has to be a key management priority and
this must be communicated to all employees constantly. Don’t let one of your
employees learn that Superman Can’t Fly the hard way.
If you have any questions or need an y help with your Safety Program, please
give me a call at
1-800-356-1274.
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