There are a couple of frequently used sayings concerning this type of behavior, such as, “Haste Makes Waste” and “The Hurrier I Go, the Behinder I Get.” Another one which is more closely associated with safety on the job is, “Hurrying-Up Can Hurt.”

These types of accidents are easy to identify, but there are others resulting from being in a hurry that we should consider for a moment. For instance:

• Using the wrong ladder for the job just because it is closer than the one that is the right height.
• Not wearing safety glasses because the job will only take a second.
• Not taking time to properly lock-out and tag machinery you want to make repairs on.
• Carrying a heavy object without first planning a safe route.
• Leaving water or oil on the floor for someone else to wipe up—probably with the seat of their pants.

Sometime, think back to an incident when you nearly got hurt. When you review the circumstances of the near-miss, there is a good chance that hurrying was part of your difficulty. If you took a shortcut, you probably realize, as most of us do sooner or later, the shortcut really didn’t save any time and was not worth the risk involved.

However, it should be pointed out that while hurrying unnecessarily is frowned upon, faster ways of doing things may be beneficial at times. If you think that there is a better way of doing a certain job, by all means bring it to the attention of your Supervisor. But do not proceed to use the new method or make any changes without first getting them approved.

One of the safest means of speeding up operations is through experience. As we become more familiar with our jobs, our efficiency and speed increase. But this is taken into consideration in planning jobs and how they should be handled; and then, of course, we all reach a point where increased speed through experience becomes negligible, and the danger of not remaining alert on the job grows.

Obviously, accidents cost money. So if you think that meeting the cost of living is rough now, just imagine what it would be like if you had to face expenses without a full paycheck because of a work injury. So, both physically and financially, hurrying can hurt.

SAFETY REMINDER – THE JOB IS NOT DONE RIGHT UNLESS IT IS DONE SAFELY! IF YOUR HEAD IS NOT IN THE GAME YOU MIGHT BE THE NEXT INJURY.