See Something, Say Something: Speaking up about Unsafe Conditions

On this episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, IHSA’s Jennifer McKenzie discusses the 'See Something, Say Something' initiative and the importance of speaking up about unsafe conditions at work. Safety is everyone's responsibility, and speaking up protects not only oneself and their co-workers but also their loved ones from preventable heartbreak.The 'See Something, Say Something' initiative originated from the Bruin, Gerrard, and Maguire Coroner's Inquest, which highlighted a significant gap in workplace culture and communication. Jennifer discusses the interactions she had with the families of workers whose unfortunate workplace fatalities were part of the inquest. Their advocacy became a driving force behind the 'See Something, Say Something' campaign, motivating Jennifer to take their vision and use it to promote a culture of safety where workers feel empowered to speak up and help prevent future tragedies.The SSSS campaign aligns with IHSA's ‘Keep Your Promise’ campaign, which encourages workers to keep their promise to their families to return home safe. The SSSS campaign also encourages workers to keep their promise to report hazards and concerns to ensure everyone at the workplace returns home safe.Jennifer emphasizes the need for employers and workers to accept a shared responsibility for safety. Employers should create a workplace culture where workers feel confident and supported in reporting hazards without fear of reprisal. Workers should remain alert and speak up when they notice unsafe conditions, as their actions could prevent near misses or save lives.A desired outcome for the 'See Something Say Something' campaign would be a cultural shift where speaking up about workplace safety becomes second nature for every worker, supervisor, and employer.  Free ResourcesEmployers GuidelineWorkers GuidelineKeep Your Promise campaign pageA culture of care: Why speaking up mattersPreventing complacency on the jobSee Something, Say Something videosSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.