Rushing is a characteristic of human nature

• It’s human nature to want to get a job done as quickly as possible.

• Getting a task done in a hurry gives you:

• the ability to start your next task sooner
• in some cases, more time to do other things that may be more enjoyable

• Many of us also grew up being told that it’s important to accomplish as much as we can.

• But what we often aren’t told is that rushing can result in accidents, errors, and more time spent in the long run. We need to do our jobs correctly and safely.

What happens when you hurry?

• Rushing to get our jobs done can result in injury to ourselves and those around us.

• Statistics from one insurance company show that 92 percent of the time, the reason accidents occur is because workers aren’t doing their tasks properly.

• Being in a rush makes it unlikely you will perform your task as you should.

• Among the consequences of being in too much of a hurry are:

• accidents involving yourself and co-workers
• mistakes which can result in unhappy customers
• the need to redo a task you thought was already done
• product damage or loss

• Rushing can also have long-term consequences. These include:

• serious injury and long-term pain
• costly medical bills
• the possibility of a disabling injury, which could put you out of work
• the loss of income from being out of work

Develop a good safety attitude

• Rushing results in carelessness and carelessness leads to accidents. One example of a poor safety attitude that you should avoid is, “I don’t have time to think about safety. I need to get this job done right now.”

• Having a good safety attitude means taking responsibility for your actions; and taking responsibility means doing the best job you can – not the fastest job you can.

• Here are some other examples of attitudes that can get you into trouble:

• “I don’t have time to put on all of that protective equipment. I did a similar job without using it once before and didn’t get hurt.”
• “I’ve done this job this way dozens of times in the past. I don’t have time to review the operator’s manual.”
• “I know I’m not supposed to rush, but I really have to get home. If I finish in a hurry, maybe I can get there sooner.”

HURRYING DANGERS DO’S AND DON’TS

DO:

• Think about the consequences of hurrying.

• Know that rushing can result in serious injury to you and your co-workers.

• Always take the time to put on safety equipment, use the right tools and follow safety instructions

• Dress properly for the job. It may take a few extra minutes to put on a heavy pair of gloves, goggles or other safety equipment, but it can save you from serious injury.

• Use the right tools for the job.

• Identify hazardous situations in advance. If you’re rushing through a task, your mind is on getting it done – not on what may happen next.

Working carefully and deliberately gives you time to think about potential hazards, and to plan your actions.

DON’T:

• Remove safety guards or safety shields and continue to operate equipment without them .

• Have the attitude that you can hurry “just this one time.”

• Fail to take the time to read the operator’s manual or heed safety warning signs.

Don’t be in so much of a rush that you neglect to put on the proper protective equipment when handling chemicals. And if you work near a PTO or other moving machinery, remember to tie back long hair and to remove jewellery or drawstrings

“To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing” – Elbert Hubbard