2:22
I Choose Safety (NWSH Campaign 2026)
Workplace Safety and Health Council
Overview
This video emphasizes that safety is a conscious choice made by everyone in the workplace, not just a set of rules. It highlights how both employers and employees play a crucial role in fostering a safety-first culture. Employers demonstrate this by prioritizing people through protective leadership and systems, while employees show courage by speaking up, pausing, and making the right decisions to protect themselves and their colleagues. Ultimately, choosing safety is presented as an act of caring for one another, making it a fundamental aspect of daily work life.
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Chapters
- We constantly make choices that affect ourselves and others.
- Some choices have greater significance than others.
- Safety is a choice that reflects how much we care about each other.
Understanding that safety is an active choice, rather than a passive compliance, empowers individuals to take ownership of their actions and their impact on others.
Choosing to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) even when it's inconvenient.
- When employers choose safety, they prioritize people over other concerns.
- This involves implementing protective leadership and caring systems.
- It cultivates a culture where safety is the primary focus.
- This choice sends a clear message that lives are valued.
Employer commitment sets the tone and provides the necessary resources and framework for a safe working environment, demonstrating that safety is a core value.
An employer investing in updated safety equipment and training programs.
- Employees choosing safety demonstrates courage.
- This courage enables them to speak up about hazards.
- It empowers them to pause potentially unsafe actions.
- It motivates them to protect co-workers and make responsible decisions.
Individual employee actions are critical for safety; courage to intervene or report issues can prevent accidents that policies alone might not.
An employee stopping a task because they noticed a safety guard was missing.
- True safety is not confined to written procedures or scheduled meetings.
- It is embedded in the everyday decisions and actions of individuals.
- The impact of these daily choices can be significant.
This shifts the focus from abstract rules to practical, moment-to-moment application, making safety a dynamic and integrated part of the job.
Noticing a spill and cleaning it up immediately, rather than waiting for a scheduled cleaning.
- The ultimate value in choosing safety is the act of caring.
- This caring extends to oneself and to colleagues.
- Collective commitment to safety strengthens the entire workplace.
Recognizing safety as an expression of care fosters empathy and strengthens interpersonal bonds, making the workplace a more supportive environment.
Looking out for a less experienced coworker to ensure they are working safely.
Key takeaways
- Safety is an active, daily choice, not just a set of rules.
- Employers demonstrate their commitment to safety by prioritizing people and implementing protective systems.
- Employees exhibit courage when they choose safety by speaking up and making responsible decisions.
- Effective safety practices are integrated into everyday actions, not limited to formal procedures.
- Choosing safety is fundamentally an act of caring for oneself and others.
- A strong safety culture relies on the collective commitment of both employers and employees.
- Individual choices, however small, contribute significantly to overall workplace safety.
Key terms
Safety ChoiceWorkplace SafetyEmployer ResponsibilityEmployee CourageSafety CultureProtective LeadershipCaring SystemsDaily Choices
Test your understanding
- How does an employer's choice to prioritize safety manifest in their actions and systems?
- What does it mean for an employee to 'choose safety' in their daily work?
- Why is it important to view safety as an act of caring rather than just compliance?
- How can individual employees contribute to a stronger safety culture through their everyday choices?
- What is the difference between safety as described in manuals and safety as lived in daily actions?