September 12 2022
By: Shawn M. Galloway
My wife was recently in Las Vegas for a long weekend to celebrate one of her sister's birthdays. The first evening, after a great experience seeing the Blue Man Group performance, stepping from the curb in high heels to enter an Uber, she stepped wrong, fell, and broke her ankle. Having spent this past week helping her get around our home in Houston using her new hands-free knee crutch and scooter, I have a new appreciation for the importance and fragility of our ankles.
According to NSC's Injury Facts⍰, 42,114 people died in home and workplace falls in 2020. As a result, ´slips, trips, and falls´ are a common workplace safety topic. As long as humans roam the earth, we can't prevent all undesirable events from occurring. That doesn't mean we should stop trying and advancing. We should do everything we can to build capacity to prevent unwanted outcomes. If we believe all injuries are preventable, we don't focus enough on developing sufficient responses to an injury or other deviations from expected outcomes occur. Thankfully, others have. My home is now full of mobility devices, and trips to receive physical therapy are part of my wife's future.
We must never forget that humans are not just fragile; we are also fallible. We must also do everything we can to build capacity to prevent injuries and help the injured recover and return to the state before the event.
"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
Shawn Galloway, CEO of ProAct Safety, is an expert in safety excellence. With almost thirty years of experience, he is a highly sought-after advisor, keynote speaker, and expert witness. Shawn has become a trusted partner to leading organizations across various industries worldwide. He ranks in the top 1% of the most prolific writers in his field, having authored over 500 articles and several bestselling books. He also launched the world's first safety podcast, Safety Culture Excellence©. As a recognized authority in safety, Shawn has received awards such as being named among the Top 50 People Who Most Influence EHS and a Top 10 Speaker, among others.
He is a regular guest on Bloomberg, Fox News, The Daily Mail, Dubai One, U.S. News & World Report, Sirius Business Radio, Wharton Business Daily, and leading safety magazines and podcasts. Shawn also serves as a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, Forbes Business Council, and Fast Company Executive Board, enabling his influence to shape safety thinking and strategy at the executive level.
