It’s all just common sense

I was at a friend’s barbeque the other day when a couple of new acquaintances asked me what I do. Once the news that I am a Health and Safety professional sunk in, the “It’s all just common sense” was fired my way.

If it was that simple I would have happily hang up my hard hat some time ago, satisfied that it was a job well done (my surfing skills certainly need some refining and the board’s been gathering dust since the winter months). We ended up having a really good conversation about what good looks like and found lots of common ground along the way but it got me thinking, if it is all just common sense what would that look like on a global scale?

Google tells me that common sense is “the ability to think and behave in a reasonable way and to make good decisions,” irrespective of skills, experience or specialised knowledge. If we took all of the industrialised countries and looked closely at their workplace injury rates, we would expect to see similar numbers if we all share similar levels of common sense.

Instead what we find is that New Zealand hasn’t been doing so well with injuries and fatalities in the workplace for some time. On average one to two workers in New Zealand are killed each week, an estimated 600-900 people die prematurely from occupational diseases each year, we’re three times more likely to be seriously harmed in the workplace than those working in the UK and twice as likely as our neighbours over the ditch.

So what is it that makes things so different? Are we simply working harder and longer? Or is it something else? There’s no denying our average hours and working week have increased in recent years but so have everyone else’s. Are we simply more accident prone and dare I say it, not as savvy as our international counterparts when it comes to common sense? No, of course not, us kiwis have tonnes of common sense, we’re known for our ingenuity and thinking outside of the box, so what could possibly explain the differences?

We’re not working harder; we’re simply not working smarter. The ‘she’ll be right’ attitude and ‘let’s just get on with it’ mentality is letting us, our loved ones and our communities down. Health and safety doesn’t have to be complicated, wrapped up in endless paperwork or expensive; if anything it should be helping businesses sharpen up on their overheads, create a happier, more productive work environment and increase those bottom lines.

If you haven’t already, now is a good time to seek professional advice. Do your homework and find a qualified Health and Safety consultant that knows their stuff, has experience in your industry and is a member of a professional body.