At a young age, we are taught to assume responsibilities. (Look before you cross the street…playing with matches is dangerous…be home before dark...) Even today, as we have grown into adults, we still learn and decide whether to accept certain obligations. Young or old, we make individuals choices.

By accepting and practicing safety responsibility, you ensure your future both at home and on the job. If you see an unsafe act, do something about it. Point it out so others are aware and avoid future accidents and injuries for you and your fellow coworkers.

Saia has to comply with both federal and state laws for providing a safe workplace, but actual performance of these safety obligations belongs to everyone. If you are on the safety committee, help a new employee learn that safety is the rule, not the exception. Teach them proper safety responsibility to develop a safety culture to prevent accidents
and injuries.

Review the five keys to injury prevention below. While the keys do not cover every prevention method, they do focus on areas that will improve injury reduction the most while promoting a positive safety culture.

Total Awareness

Total awareness is a commitment to your work area, your works action and awareness of the actions of others. Work responsibly to avoid injury, near-miss accidents and creating an unsafe environment.

TOTAL AWARENESS means:

PREPARE‍

Report to work well-rested, dressed appropriately and physically fit to safely perform the required tasks of your position.

DISTRACTIONS

A commitment to avoid all distractions that may take your attention away from safely completing your work.

ATTENTION

Safety is in the details. Your safety, the safety of others in your work area, and the work environment all depend on each of us focusing on safe work actions

Healthy Habits

Healthy habits begin at home. Our decisions on how we care for ourselves effects all aspects of our lives not just at work. Our mental and physical fitness are all results of our daily decisions.

REST

Sleeping too little cannot only inhibit your productivity and ability to remember and consolidate information, but lack of sleep can also lead to serious health consequences and jeopardize your safety and the safety of individuals around you. Sleep debt is linked to:

• Increased risk of motor vehicle accidents
• Decreased ability to pay attention, react to signals, or remember new information

FITNESS

One of the greatest benefits of being fit is the ability to handle stress. Exercise and a healthy body help us feel positive about our work performance and we have the energy to go through our workday. Researchers estimate that nearly half of all sprain and strain injuries could have been prevented with stretching. Muscles thrive on the oxygen-rich blood supply furnished by the circulatory system. When overtaxed, there is not enough supply of oxygen for the muscle fibers to perform correctly. This is why muscle sprains and strains are so common when people overexert themselves. Stretching prior to work can significantly reduce strains and injuries.

Injuries

We believe that the safety of employees is of utmost importance. Maintenance of safe operating procedures at all times is of both human and monetary value, with the human value being far greater to Saia, than the latter, meaning all employees and the community. Injuries and accidents are preventable if you:

• Follow safe work rules
• Stretch often throughout the day
• Lift correctly by bending your knees to lift rather than using your back
• Getting enough rest when you're not at work
• Don't use shortcuts because they're accidents and injuries waiting to happen

It is every employee's responsibility to follow all safety rules and work safely at all times. It is also the employee’s responsibility to report or correct unsafe equipment and practices.

Never Lose Focus

Inattention or the lacks of focus in the workplace are the leading causes for accidents and injuries. When people stop paying attention to what they are doing, they also stop thinking about safety.

Many people like to say they can multi-task; however, that is not how the brain works. The human brain will switch from one task to the other and then back to the first task. It is physically impossible to mentally process two things at the same time.

Many times when interviewing employees after accidents, we hear the driver say they looked but did not see and hit the object. No one intended to create a dangerous work environment, but that is exactly what happens when the mind is not alert to the current task.

Focusing on the task directly at hand not only is more efficient and safe, you will find yourself more relaxed and satisfied with the results of your labor. Whether you drive a CMV, forklift or work on a computer, staying focused keeps you alert to your work, potential dangers and out of harm’s way.

Safe work rules apply to each of us in the workplace and benefit all of us. It is more efficient to work on one task that is getting your full attention than to compromise your focus on safety sensitive work.

Safety First

Safety should be your first thought, not an afterthought.

Pay attention to your work surroundings. Alert supervisors immediately if you see unsafe conditions or activities being performed. Always be alert to hazards that could affect you and your fellow employees. Never take risks when it comes to your safety or the safety of those around you. Safety is a team effort.

Always perform your assigned task in a safe and proper manner. Do not take shortcuts. The taking of shortcuts and the ignoring of safe work rules creates risk and often results in injuries and accidents. Always be alert and awake on the job.

Think Injury Prevention

At Saia, we must choose to be safe for ourselves, our families and our fellow workers, because we believe it is the right thing to do, not because someone told us to do it! Safety must be a value, and treated as such, not a side note, not an option, not just another check mark off . Rather, safety is an obligation that should be equally shared by all of us.

Unsafe behaviors and conditions contribute to 99% of our injuries and/or near-misses. To truly become incident and accident-free, we have to eliminate them from the equation. Saia is committed to sending everyone home safe each day. Safety policies and procedures are in place for a reason. Saia has a genuine care and concern for our employees, and we would never ask anyone to take a shortcut that might jeopardize the health and well-being of any employee. When you are assigned to perform a task, the assumption is that the task will be accomplished in a professional manner. There is no expectation that somebody else will have to finish your job because you are off seeking medical attention for an injury received due to your disregard of safety.

While you are being paid to work, you are also being paid to work safely. If you skimp on safe practices and procedures, possibly nothing happens—at first. But, as you cultivate unsafe habits and flaunt your invulnerability, slowly but surely, the odds of getting injured start turning against you. You cannot undermine the VALUE of safety.

Saia provides safety training for all employees and expects supervisors and managers to enforce safety policies. A truly injury-free workplace is attainable only if everyone has a “Safety First” mindset - everyone from part-time dockworkers to the highest levels of management. We all need to make sure we are prioritizing safety and concern for each other above everything else—over cost, schedules, pressure or performance.

Frontline leadership owes it to our employees to demonstrate safe-working practices and to correct unsafe behaviors. True leadership promotes a safe work environment and demonstrates proper procedures leading to a pure safety culture. To witness an unsafe act or policy violation and not address it, is the same as accepting that the action is acceptable. An employee’s day can be filled with learning experiences. Take the time to encourage, teach, coach, and promote safety as it will only benefit you and Saia.