Boundaries are blurry. Be a safety champion at work and at home

By Madison Hanscom, PhD

The boundaries between work and home can sometimes feel blurry. For instance, it is not uncommon for us to bring work home with us — whether it is psychological or physical. If you have a negative confrontation with a manager, you might come home in an awful mood to your spouse. If you pull your back picking up something heavy on the job, you might not feel well enough to toss the ball with your kids on the weekend. This also happens in the opposite direction of course, too. If you are stressed or hurt at home, it can spill over into the work domain.

With this being said, when safety is a part of our identity, it can benefit life in all domains. The goal is for safety to become so ingrained that it is intrinsically motivated — that the internal drive to live and work safely is stronger than taking shortcuts or the easy way out.

A safety champion embodies the notion that safety comes before everything else.

These individuals always have safety on the mind, and they are the backbone of a strong safety culture. They understand how safety connects to the big picture both inside and outside of work. At work, they wear protective gear when operating a saw, and they do the same at home because they recognize that safety does not have boundaries.

When you are a safety champion at work and at home, you never know who is watching and learning.

You might save the life of a coworker or even your own child. People learn by observing, and your actions speak louder than words. Lead by example – be a safety champion at work and at home.

At Propulo Consulting, we care about the health and wellbeing of all workers. We partner with you to improve the world of work using the latest insights from research. Our team has the expertise to help your business build a safer and healthier culture.