Fragility and Fallibility

My wife was in Las Vegas for a long weekend celebrating one of her sister's birthdays. The first evening, after a fantastic experience watching the Blue Man Group performance, she stepped from the curb in high heels to enter an Uber. Unfortunately, she misstepped, fell, and broke her ankle. As I helped her navigate around our home in Houston using her hands-free knee crutch and scooter, I gained a new appreciation for the importance and fragility of our ankles.

According to the National Safety Council's Injury Facts, 42,114 people died from falls in the home and workplace in 2020, with that number increasing to 46,660 in 2022. This stark reality underscores that "slips, trips, and falls" are consistently a critical workplace safety topic. However, as long as humans roam the earth, we cannot prevent all undesirable events from occurring. That doesn't mean we should cease our efforts; rather, we must continue to advance our safety practices with additional response and recovery capabilities.

Injuries and accidents remind us of two key truths: humans are fragile, and humans are fallible.

We should always strive to build and increase the capacity to prevent unwanted outcomes. It's essential to recognize that with the fixed mindset that all injuries are preventable, we may inadvertently neglect to develop adequate responses for when injuries or unexpected events occur. Thus, while we work tirelessly to prevent accidents, we must also ensure we have comprehensive plans in place to assist those who are injured, helping them recover and return to their previous state as swiftly and effectively as possible.

Join me in the commitment to fostering a culture of safety where prevention is an every task priority. Yet, we remain prepared and equipped to respond when the inevitable does occur. By doing so, we can create an environment that not only minimizes risks but also supports our people in times of need, ultimately enhancing both safety and resilience within our communities and workplaces.

"To err is human, to forgive divine." — Alexander Pope

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." — Robert Burns

"Anything ever written needs a disclaimer." — Michael Whone

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Next Session: 27 March 2025 (10:00 AM CT)

Join Shawn Galloway in these quarterly discussions on safety excellence. This virtual discussion with other business and safety leaders also offers networking opportunities. This forum discusses the latest thinking, discoveries, newly created methodologies and models and overall strategies, better practices, and lessons learned for clients on the journey to safety excellence. If you cannot participate in the live discussions, the session will be recorded, and you will be provided access to the recorded meetings during the duration of your subscription.

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Shawn M. Galloway is the CEO of the global consultancy ProAct Safety. With over twenty years of experience in safety systems, strategy, culture, leadership, and employee engagement, he is a trusted advisor, keynote speaker, and expert witness. He is the author of several bestselling books and has multiple regular columns in leading magazines, with over 400 articles and 100 videos to his credit. He also created the first safety podcast, Safety Culture Excellence, with over 800 episodes.

As a leading and globally recognized expert on safety excellence, he has been interviewed and a guest on Bloomberg, Fox News, Dubai One, Sirius Business Radio, U.S. News & World Report, Wharton Business Daily, mainstream safety magazines, and almost every safety-related podcast.

Shawn's passion, dedication, and significant contributions to the safety field have been widely recognized. He has received numerous awards and accolades, including Global Safety Excellence Expert, Power 101 Leaders of the EHS World, Top 50 People Who Most Influenced EHS, Top 40 Rising Stars, and Top 11 Health and Safety Influencers. His influence is felt globally, and his status as an esteemed Avetta Distinguished Fellow and Advisor to Harvard Business Review further underscores his expertise and makes his perspectives highly sought after.