WINTER 2016

190 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK
Carl Potter CSP, CMC
Through his efforts as a keynote speaker, consultant, and author, Carl Potter has helped
many workers go home every day without injury. He is the author and facilitator of the
hazard recognition and control workshop, delivered to thousands of people in hundreds
of workplaces in the United States and Canada. He has authored eight books.
Information on his work and presentations can be found at www.carlpotter.com and
more information about the company he leads is at www.safetyinstitute.com.
GETTING TO ZERO: ONE TASK AT A TIME
The Vision Of ZERO
American industry continues to come to grips with
hitting ZERO injuries in the workplace. More than 10 years
ago I began a campaign of keynote speeches and leadership
seminars and workshops feeling like Don Quixote.
Continually running headlong at the windmills of the ZERO
injury safety culture. Leaders and workers pushed back
making statements like:
“It can’t be done!”
• “This is a dangerous business and injuries just
happen.”
“People are going to make mistakes!”
“Leaders are only interested in getting a bonus!”
“Isn’t safety someone else’s responsibility?”
“How can you make a workplace that safe?”
• “Do you really think it’s possible to have zero injuries?”
ZERO is a goal, target, benchmark, ideal, or whatever
you want to call it. Achieving zero injuries requires vision, a
process, effort, and the commitment of everyone in the
organization. The target does not have to be berated and
talked about 24/7, but it does have to become a simply
seamless part of the business. Safety is a big job that
happens when we establish deliberate steps to accomplish
the desired result.
Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs
~ Henry Ford
Make It More Difficult To Get Hurt
Anything that seems to be impossible or just plain
difficult must be broken down into steps. Learning the
process of recognizing and controlling hazards takes time
mitigate hazards. Some clients understand what we are
trying to accomplish and deliberate focus to make sure
everyone is not just seeing and reporting hazards but also
CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE
taking steps to mitigate the hazard to a lower level of risk.
What we are attempting to do is create a workplace where it
is more difficult to get hurt. Effort is required to hit ZERO; it
does not happen just because we say it will.
Eight Concepts To Achieve ZERO
[1] Break the job of hitting ZERO injuries down to macro and
micro work areas
[2] Look at your overall location (think macro: big picture)
and see it as a workplace
[3] Identify what is in your workplace that can cause injury.
(identify hazards in the form of: material, conditions, or
activity)
[4] Take action to mitigate the hazards in the workplace to
a lower level of risk, then
[5] Take a look at your worksite (think micro: local or where
you are completing tasks)
[6] What is in your worksite that can cause injury? (this is a
close-up, focused look)
[7] What controls can be employed to mitigate the risk of
injury (decrease the exposure or impact of the hazard), and
remember
[8] Ask yourself, “Do we want to reach ZERO injuries in our
workplaceand are we willing to put out the necessary effort?”
A Personal Call To Action
A more appropriate may question may be, “Do I want to
reach ZERO injuries in my worksite and am I willing to put out
the effort?” Zero is a desired state that must become a
personal target, and commit to expending the effort. Effort
is only expended when we are trying to accomplish
something we want. So today, ask yourself if you want to hit
ZERO injuries and create a workplace/worksite where
nobody gets hurt.
CARL POTTER