A Safety Story 2

Good Morning Team,

Last week I presented a fictional story about a service call Ray made where things really went wrong from the start. I asked that you think on Ray’s actions and provide some feedback. Several of you replied and I appreciate the responses. It should come as no surprise that everyone agreed that Ray failed in multiple areas on this call. He allowed his physical and mental state to lead to a bad attitude and this prevented him from not only thinking clearly about work and safety processes, but it also led to a less than stellar performance in a number of our customer service values. Let’s go ahead and detail out a few of those.  As a reminder, I asked;

1. Where did Ray fail in following established work or safety procedures?

• He didn’t bring any tools with him. Even when the thought crossed his mind after moving forward, he did not retrieve them. Without tools of any kind he isn’t likely to be able to do much more than just look at the work that is needed. This was not an efficient response.
• He didn’t bring any PPE. Safety glasses and work gloves are the most basic of needs on almost all tasks. No work should be done without the proper PPE being worn.
• He grabbed a chair to use as a step stool. Chairs are made for rear ends, not feet. Enough said?
• He noted that the valve atop the water heater looked pretty sketchy. We should all take heed when faced with a similar situation anticipating that it might not work and search for another stop valve further upstream. In other words, always have a plan B.

1. What safety hazards did Ray overlook or ignore?

• He failed to consider the hazard presented by the water he saw dripping from the thermostat/electrical connections box. Electrocution was a strong possibility here. Shutting off the power should have been his first step upon arrival.
• He failed to consider the hazard that the temperature of the water presented. He even saw steam rising from the water. And once he was burned, he allowed himself to be scalded even more by still trying to shut the valve.
• As a side note, seeing the steam should have caused him to wonder why the water was so hot. No domestic water heater should ever be set so high that actual steam is produced. Maybe the thermostat was stuck full on?

1. What are the possible consequences of the injuries Ray suffered?

• He will most likely be at least bruised and may have some muscle strains from his slide down the water heater as the chair slid out from under him piling him onto the floor.

• While the initial burns he suffered from the hot pipes and water might be classified as first degree with only reddening of the skin, forcing his already scalded skin to remain in contact exposes him to second degree burns where the underlying dermis is damaged. This can lead to blistering, swelling, and skin that is painful to touch. Any resulting broken skin can also be subject to infection. Cutting his hand on the rusty handle exposes him to Tetanus. Some rusty metals can harbor a specific type of bacteria that can infect a wound and cause the muscles throughout the body to spasm. Also known as Lock Jaw, it typically affects the muscles around the mouth first and if left untreated, one out of three people will die from it. Any type of cut or scrape exposes us to other types of infection as well.

1. Is safety the only issue with Ray’s actions here?

No it wasn’t. Ray’s customer service values were subpar. Here are just a few of them that I feel he didn’t deliver on.

• First Impressions. Allowing a frown to be on his own face as the door was first opened certainly wouldn’t have made a very good impression. Perhaps smiling would have been improper, but a much more neutral expression of concern might have softened her own frown somewhat and taken some of the heat out of the resulting conversation. It’s also possible that standing there with empty hands – no tools, PPE, or other equipment – only added to the bad first impression.
• Two Ears/One Mouth. Exercising this value would perhaps have allowed the occupant to express her frustration and the quiet listening on Ray’s part – all the while remaining alert to his own body language – may have made it possible for him to avoid believing it to be a personal attack. You can always acknowledge someone’s statements without admitting guilt or tacit agreement. Using phrases like; “I am sorry that you feel this way” or “I understand your concerns” just might help to diffuse the situation.
• It’s Not About You. We all have our bad days and it can be especially hard during these times to listen to someone else complain, but as a service company; serving people, places and the communities we share, we cannot let those kinds of days affect our professionalism. Try to see the issue from their point of view. Would you be a little less than cheerful in their shoes? If you can expect them to be upset, and then act in ways that don’t exacerbate it when you find that they are, you’re a superhero! Remember the Golden Rule? There’s a slight twist in the service industry as in most cases, we’ll want to treat our customers better than we would want to be treated.

Again, I appreciate all of you that took the time to respond, but I did want to further acknowledge Georgia Krkosska, property manager of the Villa West Apartments. She indicates that as managers, we need to be aware of our team’s workloads and do all that we can to help them avoid burn-out. Perhaps it can be as simple as asking them to take a few extra moments for some breathing time once the paperwork from the previous service call is complete. She further points out that beyond the pain and suffering he will experience, the injuries Ray suffered in the story would probably require a trip to the minor emergency center to be checked out resulting in further lost work time and additional costs for the company and property.

If any of you are feeling overwhelmed – and who hasn’t on occasion? – don’t let it get to the stage that Ray did. Share your concerns with your supervisor. Give them a chance to help you, just don’t carry it around silently and allow it to make you less efficient, less safe, or cause you to interact poorly with our customers. You are an important part of the company’s success and our customers are the reason we have a job in the first place.

Have a great week and be safe.

Sincerely,

Ray Moore
Director of Facilities Services