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Frontline Fundamentas – Prioritize Safety Now So It Becomes a Value Before It’s Too Late!

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“Safety as a Core Value: Making Human & Organizational Performance Stick”

Read the article: https://incident-prevention.com/blog/prioritize-safety-now-so-it-becomes-a-value-before-its-too-late/

In this episode, we explore why true safety goes beyond reacting to incidents—it starts long before. We unpack powerful, low-risk ways to practice Human & Organizational Performance (HOP) tools (like “say-it-out-loud,” checklists, E+R=O) in everyday life, building a foundation so these habits carry over when it really matters. Join us as we discuss how caring—not fear—drives safety, and why making safety a value rather than just a priority can prevent harm before it happens.

✅ Key Takeaways

  1. Learning before failure: Unlike hot stove lessons, we can intentionally develop safety values before major incidents occur.

  2. Safety vs. “priority”: True safety is non-negotiable—unlike when we say “except when…”.

  3. The power of caring: Caring drives us to anticipate risk—like parents child‑proofing before birth.

  4. Practice HOP tools now: Saying “garage door down,” using packing checklists, proofreading—simple acts that ingrain safety habits.

  5. Event + Response = Outcome: A pause before reacting can turn rushed decisions into mindful actions.

  6. Choose growth over reaction: You can wait for an incident or proactively build safe practices because you care.

❓ 3 Questions & Answers

Q1: What differentiates making safety a “value” from a “priority”?

A1: A value means it’s non-negotiable—safety always comes first—while a priority can be deferred, leading to compromises and weakeness in approach.

Q2: How does practicing HOP tools in everyday life help at work?

A2: The everyday practice of tools like checklists or saying instructions out loud builds muscle memory and cognitive habits that carry over into high-risk situations when you really need them.

Q3: Why is “caring” so critical to building a safety culture?

A3: Caring motivates us to protect—even before danger is evident. Like parents covering outlets before a child arrives, caring can create preemptive protections that prevent harm.

Here are some valuable resources you may want for your team – some at no cost even.

iP Utility Safety Conference & Expo, this is held twice a year. you can earn CUSP/Certification points here –

Register for the iP Utility Safety Conference & Expo

Utility Safety Podcast – Search “Utility Safety Podcast” on every major podcast platform
https://utilitysafety.podbean.com/

iPi Forum it is free and a lot of fun via Zoom monthly, and can earn 1 certification point.
iPi Forum Sign Up

Frontline Fundamentals every 2 months, free again and can earn 1 certification point,
Frontline Fundamentals Forum Sign Up

Incident Prevention Magazine – Free – Great resource – Highly recommended for Safety Professionals
Sign up Digitally or Print For Free to iP Magazine

#SafetyCulture #HumanPerformance #HOPTools #SafetyFirst #ValueDrivenSafety #IncidentPrevention