Prevent is for Pros
You’re the coach of an NFL team. Your players, bruised and tired, have battled it out with heart. Here’s the situation you’re faced with now. It’s the fourth quarter, two minutes left in the game. You’re ahead by 17 points. But the opposing team has the ball. And a lot can happen in two minutes.
Naturally, you want to keep players in bounds to keep the clock running. The other team, of course wants to get out of bounds to stop the clock. You don’t care whether they make a lot of short gains, as long as that clock keeps running down. The problem is, they might go for a Hail Mary play, and if they pull it off, there goes your victory.
What’s your call?
Like most NFL coaches, you’ll probably pull your defense back into a zone. Your safeties and cornerbacks are five to ten yards back. Your free safety is 20 yards back. Your defensive backs are watching the other team’s QB instead of matching strides with the receivers. You might give up a short play, but a big play of 20 yards or more is all but impossible.
Congratulations! You picked the prevent defense, and you won the game. Although many fans hate the prevent defense, coaches often use it to protect their lead and win. For that reason, it’s a smart play.
You make a smart play every single day on the job when you take pro-active steps to protect your safety. How?
*Stay alert-always. Don’t let boredom or familiarity with a job lull you into carelessness. That’s when accidents happen.
*Look for hazards. Instead of taking safety for granted, always be on the lookout for anything that can go wrong.
*Practice good housekeeping. Clutter and improperly stored chemicals are major hazards. Avoid them just by cleaning up.
*Wear the right Personal Protective Equipment if your job demands it. PPE is prevention in action. Without it you risk your sight, your hearing, your hands…why risk injury? Think ahead and stay protected.
*Never, ever operate a machine without the proper guards. Improperly used, machines can be dangerous.
These are just some ways to be pro-active about safety. Ask your supervisor for more, because when you prevent an accident, you protect yourself. And that’s the name of the game.
Prevent and Protect.
Be Pro-Active about Safety
- COPYRIGHT 2005 HARKINS SAFETY B-205
