Exactly what is safety? Published Jan. 8, 2010 By Tech. Sgt. Brandon Fountain 17th Training Wing Safety GOODFELLOW AFB, Texas -- Recently I attended a class on basic safety standards in general industry. The content isn't something I was shocked by, nor did it surprise me to hear the violations that people have in the workplace, except for a few exceptions,. But what I carried away with me are some basic principles that should ring in everyone's head, every moment, of every day. Safety is not a priority. Safety is a value. A priority is a preferential rating, where a value is a rule that cannot be compromised. But when exactly do we start to value safety? Is it after something has happened, or before? Does it slow down progress? Does it have monetary value? Everyone has their own path in life, there isn't a particular course that can just "click" this information into the brain. A list of values, for instance, could be some form of ethical behavior, family, friends, wealth, or even ideals. But if one of those were to be taken out, then safety could be added to the list. Secure that complete list by just adding one more value to it, prior to. Safety could be considered protection against harming your personal list of values. As a prior maintainer, I can vouch for safety slowing down the work pace. But, I can also attest that when an accident happens, the work comes to a halt. So exactly how fast do you need to go? Did it save any time by cutting a corner? I can guarantee that it doesn't save time when an incident does happen. It's not IF it happens, but WHEN. Lessons learned are where these instructions, pamphlets, and standards are derived. Doing it right creates a much happier place because that feeling of being able to hold the head up high can be very infectious. Monetarily, safety is paramount. Considering it from a personal standpoint can be very deceiving. How much can a day off hurt? The military pays for it all, what would it matter? Guess again. If you are the only person in your workplace it makes a big impact if no one is there to answer the phone or do the job. Now someone would have to pick up the slack, most likely taking them out of their normal position for a little while, which in turn hurts the area they are supposed to be working in. It's a colossal effect that makes more than just one person pay. No matter what we do, the slots we fill are figured from experience of need in that particular area and workplace to get the mission done effectively. We are all worth so much, which in my book, = value of safety.