Joseph M. Forgue, Director of Safety & Education Services

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I’ve talked to road builders, HVAC contractors, environmental contractors and general contractors, among others.  What I have come to learn from spending time with them is that we seem to be our own worst enemies.  Time and time again, I see and hear of accidents or close calls that are caused by people being “in the wrong place at the wrong time,” for instance.  Is it merely coincidence, or do we put ourselves in those positions?  

As an example, working in a trench is inherently dangerous.  If we use some sort of protective system, we can significantly lower the risk of an injury or fatality from a cave-in.  So why would we work in a trench, that is destined to collapse, as all are, without this protection?  Is this being in the wrong place at the wrong time?  I often hear people say that safety is merely common sense.  I don’t buy that and never have.  Safety is an interactive sport; sitting by and letting common sense take care of it only creates unpleasant war stories for training.  It is imperative that we are not only aware of our surroundings and the activities around us, but that we take immediate corrective action when we find ourselves in a bad situation.  I’ve often said that accidents have two things in common: they happen very quickly and they’re irreversible.  As a wise safety professional friend of mine always says, “You can’t un-ring the bell.”  Let’s stop ringing the bell.

Remember CAMSAFETY is offering free, on-site Focus Four safety training under our Grant from MIOSHA.  To find out more about this opportunity, please contact me at 248-972-1141 or at forgue@cam-online.com.  You can also visit our website at
www.cam-online.com.