All About the Fundamentals

Food for thought from several years ago...

Principle to Practice, David G. Lynn, CSP (President of Peak Safety Performance)

Safety reminds me of sports – it’s all about fundamentals. When my nine-year-old son played baseball his first year, he had a lot to learn. Jacob’s first season reminded me of how important a good coach is because a good coach will teach the fundamentals that make you successful. This was apparent when Jacob’s little league team hosted a hitting clinic at a local batting cage. The owner of the batting cage taught Jacob more in 20 minutes than I could have taught him in years. The difference between the professional instructions and my advice was the level of detail and experience the coach possessed.

With my limited knowledge, I taught Jacob basic baseball principles. I focused on the obvious.  Walk up to the plate. Get a good stance and swing the bat. If you make contact, run as hard as you can to first base. The principles were a good start, but Jacob did not have a concept of the basic technique. This lack of knowledge impacted his potential.

A good hitting coach enlightened both Jacob and me. He taught Jacob how to watch the ball and then he explained the purpose and consequence of everybody position from the time a player approaches home plate until the time he walks back to the dugout. If you point the bat in the wrong direction in your stance, it affects bat speed. The way you balance your weight affects the power of your swing. The position of your head impacts the direction the ball will travel. The coach explained fundamental hitting techniques in slow- motion and with purpose. There is a cause and effect to every move. After he explained the fundamentals, each player demonstrated their technique as the coach fined tuned their skills. The coaching clinic was an awesome experience.

Does a good coach really make a difference? It did for my son Jacob! The fundamentals created consistency and Jacob began to build a foundation for success. But, the basics are not inherent to a nine-year-old boy’s behavior. Somebody has to teach him, coach him, and encourage him so that he can adopt the behaviors that will make him a better player. Patience to train and a willingness to learn will build a cornerstone to success. Jacob is well on his way to becoming a fundamental baseball player.

Putting safety and health principles to practice takes a similar approach. You have to “know” that the basic principles of safety and health management are essential to success; principles like management commitment, employee involvement, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control, and safety and health training – each of these basic principles not only make sense, they take into account everything we do in the name of safety and health. The principles of OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) are similar to my approach in coaching my son Jacob. These principles help us to not only understand the rules of the game but also to build a solid foundation upon which to add fundamental techniques that deliver consistent success.

I started my career learning safety principles through different jobs, but it took me several years to discover the right combination of techniques that creates a culture that embraces the belief that working with zero injuries is possible. Just like fundamental techniques for baseball are not inherent to nine-year-old baseball players, fundamental safety techniques are not inherent to safety professionals. I am proof of this fact. I learned fundamental safety techniques through unique and diverse job experiences.