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Heck, it may not even make the top five at times. Now though, he was number one, not number three! What is First and Second if Safety is Third?Īs the captain told Mike, safety is third. As he did, he had an epiphany about how he wrongly approached his personal safety for his entire life.
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Mike turned and went back to work on the tossing and turning deck. Therefore, the individual is the responsibility of the individual.” Safety is third because each person has individual needs that others may not be aware of. When asked, the captain replied, “No, safety third.” Confused by the captain’s response, Mike responded, “Isn’t safety first?” With the conditions worsening and danger increasing, Mike Rowe went to ask the boat captain if he was going to shut down work on the deck. Plus, the addition of thirty-foot seas made the work conditions about as bad as they could be. Icy rain made the deck and gear slick and challenging to handle. A Crab Boat on the Bering SeaĪ storm came up while working on the crab boat, and the seas became rough. To answer the question “What does safety third mean,” Rowe points to an experience he had while working on a crab boat in the always dangerous Bering Sea. You may remember Mike Rowe as the host of Dirty Jobs. The person who makes an excellent argument for the meaning of putting safety in third is Mike Rowe. The fact is, we all have our own safety needs, and therefore, we are all responsible for protecting ourselves. After all, if we assume our safety is someone else’s priority, then do they transfer the responsibility of their life to someone else? The fact is that our safety is our personal responsibility and cannot be shifted to someone else as their priority. When it comes to keeping ourselves safe, the reality is that our personal well-being is our individual responsibility. However, as surprising as it may sound, your safety is not everyone’s top priority. What About Safety First?įor years, we have all heard people say “Safety First.” We see construction sites with banners that read “Safety First!” or “Safety is Our #1 Goal!” Putting safety in third should be a way of life and a perspective that anyone can practice every day, not just safety professionals. It’s about being prepared for problems, so they don’t happen to you. Safety Third means that you are prioritizing your safety and security. The answer to those questions and the meaning of putting safety in third is yes, no, and it depends. What would you say if I asked you, “What does safety third mean?” After all, shouldn’t it be the number one thing for all of us? It seems like that is common sense, right?
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