Whilst surfing the internet last night, I came upon a quote, believed to have been said by Captain EJ Smith, and quoted in the media just prior to his fateful journey on board the Titanic in April 1912.
"I will say that I cannot imagine", he said, "any condition which could cause a ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that."
These words can be echoed by many - accidents only happen to other people and not to them. Captain Smith found this out to his cost, and that of thousands more, soon after.
Accidents can, and do, happen to anybody, and any business, at any time, any where. Only by good health and safety practices, and management can we reduce the chance of accidents becoming reality to a bare minimum. Nobody in their right mind wants accidents to happen, but we can all can put measures in place to ensure that the likelihood of them happening is reduced.
Only proper management of health and safety - including risk assessments, training, policies, procedures and practice can minimise the risks. If you need help with health and safety management in your business, then KSH Safety Services can help. Contact us today and see what we can do for you.
After the worst industrial accident in the UK in modern times, the explosion on the Piper Alpha oil rig, Sir Brian Appleton stated that:
"Safety is not an intellectual exercise to keep us in work. It is a matter of life and death. It is the sum of our contributions to safety management that determines whether the people we work with live or die."
How right he is.
Don't bury your head in the sand like so many others. Don't be the captain of the Titanic. Act now.