In the early 1900s, the researcher Pavlov found that if you ring a bell and then feed a dog, soon all you will have to do is ring the bell and the dog will start salivating. (Remember the movie Turner and Hooch?) Pavlov referred to this as a conditioned response. His research has been stretched into areas of human behavior. People often refer to “Pavlov’s dog” when describing action that is automatic without any critical thinking.

Sometimes safety rules are like the bell. When a new rule is announced, employees and executives alike often respond with “Here we go again!” This is a negative conditioned response. Consider how this plays out in the telecommunications workplace.

Let’s assume that you are a well-trained employee. You have attended all safety training, paid attention, passed all written tests, and signed the attendance roster. Then it happens. You go to the worksite and fail to use the safety procedures or you don’t wear your personal protective equipment, and the result is a personal injury. What happened?

Well, to be honest, you didn’t follow the safety rules for one of three reasons:
1. You didn’t know what to do.
2. You didn’t know how to do it.
3. You didn’t want to do it.

In this case, the third reason is the most likely: You didn’t want to do it. What can be done?

Pioneering psychologist William James had this to say:
“The greatest discovery of our generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their state of mind.” Although he lived several generations ago (1842-1910), his words still ring true today. Our attitude, or state of mind, controls our behaviors and reactions.

How do you react to a new rule? Is your reaction, “They’re trying to dumb me down - I know how to work safe.”? Or is it, “Hmmm, I’ll take a look at the new rule and consider how this applies to my work.”? Both of these responses are conditioned by our environment.

Negative reactions become the norm when individuals and entire groups automatically react pessimistically to every rule or process change. Yet by taking time to recognize and stop the poor reactions and replace them with the willingness to at least consider the change, we can make our work safer. Take seatbelts for example.

Today most drivers wear seatbelts. But that wasn’t always the case. Seatbelts were invented by pilot George Cayley in the late 1800s because he wanted to fly upside down. It wasn’t until the 1930s that they became commonplace in aviation and required in motor vehicles in the 1960s. Mandatory seatbelt use became law in the 1980s. In the past 20 years educational commercials have changed the mindset of most drivers. This has been reinforced by the citations handed out by police officers. It has taken awhile, but seatbelt usage has become the norm.

Some people naturally resist change while others are less reluctant. The question is this: how do we approach a worthwhile safety rule and apply it to our safe work practices so that it becomes our norm?

Here are a few questions to help you engage in a productive discussion about a new rule:
•  What are the hazards being controlled with this rule, procedure, or personal protective equipment (PPE)?
•  How does this rule, procedure, or PPE prevent injury?
•  What is the basis for resistance to this rule, procedure, or PPE?
•  How does this rule, procedure, or PPE ensure that nobody gets hurt?
•  How should we apply this rule, procedure, or PPE to our work?

You are responsible for safety; the only person that can change your state of mind about safety is you.

Always make sure that your motives are in the right place when discussing safety. Then you are more likely to keep safety top-of-mind so that you and your co-workers in the telecommunications industry can go home to your families every day without an injury.

©2008 Potter and Associates International, Inc. Carl Potter, CSP, CMC, CSP. The Safety StrategistSM works with organizations that want to create an environment where nobody gets hurt. As an advocate for zero-injury workplaces, he is a nationally-renowned safety speaker, author, and advisor to industry. Deb Potter, PhD, CMC is a researcher, author, and speaker in the area of safety management. She is the author of “Simply Seamless Safety.” For information about their programs and products, contact them at Potter and Associates International, Inc., 800.259.6209, or carl@potterandassociates.com, or visit www.potterandassociates.com.