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219 quotes, page 5 of 8Safety, health and getting home in one piece
For the driver at the end of a long shift, the forklift operator and the carer on nights: rest, care and the minute that saves a life. Every job ends with going home.
We say who really said each one, and where the credit is uncertain we tell you. Every card is ours to share.
“Proper planning and preparation prevents poor performance.”
British Army adage
Plan the route, the breaks and the parking before you set off.
“Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.”
Military saying
Reversing onto a bay? Slow and smooth gets you there first and in one piece.
“Victory awaits him who has everything in order: luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time: this is called bad luck.”
Roald Amundsen, The South Pole (1912)
Safe jobs look lucky from outside. Really they were well prepared.
“Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory.”
Ed Viesturs, mountaineer
Finishing the job is good. Getting home safe is the only thing that is not optional.
“There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots.”
Aviation saying
Experienced drivers last because they are careful, not because they are daring.
“One hand for yourself and one for the ship.”
Sailors' saying
Three points of contact on ladders and cab steps. Never carry so much you cannot hold on.
“Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”
Murphy's law. Named after the US engineer Edward A. Murphy Jr. (around 1949).
Plan as if the forklift will reverse without looking. That is how you avoid being there when it does.
“If you think safety is expensive, try an accident.”
Workplace safety saying
Good boots and proper kit cost money. Injury costs far more.
“Stress. Recover. Improve. That's all training is.”
Attributed to Bill Bowerman. Widely attributed; the original source has not been traced.
New to a physical job? Your body adapts in the rest days, not only on shift.
“It's O.K. not to be O.K.”
Naomi Osaka, Time magazine (2021)
If you are struggling, say so. A good manager would rather know.
“The body is surely the first means of fulfilling one's duty.”
Kalidasa, Kumarasambhava 5.33. Sanskrit: shariram adyam khalu dharma sadhanam.
You cannot care for others, build or drive without a healthy body. Look after it.
“He who conceals his disease cannot expect to be cured.”
Ethiopian proverb
Hurt your wrist? Report it and get it seen. Hiding it makes it worse.
“The part can never be well unless the whole is well.”
Attributed to Plato. A paraphrase of Plato's Charmides.
A team is only as healthy as its most worn out member. Keep an eye on each other.
“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.”
Attributed to Herophilus. Widely attributed; the original source has not been traced.
Your skills only work when you are well enough to use them. Rest when you are ill.
“What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?”
George Eliot, Middlemarch (1871)
Hold the door, lend a hand with the cage, cover the call. Small help makes a shift easier.
“A problem shared is a problem halved.”
English proverb
Worried about something at work? Tell a colleague or supervisor. It gets lighter.
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
James Howell, Proverbs (1659)
Make time for football, the allotment or the family. You need it to keep going.
“You can't pour from an empty cup.”
Modern saying
Carers: book your own respite. You cannot give what you do not have.
“The life you save may be your own.”
US road safety slogan (1950s). Later used by Flannery O'Connor as a story title (1953).
Belt on, phone away, speed down. It is your own life too.
“Familiarity breeds contempt.”
English proverb, from Aesop
The job you have done a thousand times is the one that bites. Stay alert to routine risks.
“Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.”
Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism (1711)
Not trained on the forklift? Do not touch it, however simple it looks.
“Caution is the parent of safety.”
English proverb
Treat every cable as live and every load as heavy until you know otherwise.
“A danger foreseen is half avoided.”
English proverb
Do the risk assessment properly. Seeing the danger is most of the battle.
“Second thoughts are best.”
English proverb
Something feels off about the job? Pause and think again before you carry on.
“Don't run before you can walk.”
English proverb
New starters: learn the safe way first. Speed comes later.
“There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.”
English proverb
The last drop of the day is still a drop. Stay careful until the engine is off.
“Forewarned is forearmed.”
English proverb
Read the weather forecast and the route notes before a long run.
“When in doubt, leave it out.”
English proverb
Not sure the label is right on the allergen? Leave it out and check with the chef.
“Night brings counsel.”
French proverb (La nuit porte conseil)
Torn over a job offer? Sleep on it and decide in the morning.
“Patience brings roses.”
German proverb (Geduld bringt Rosen)
Recovering from injury or learning a new role, patience pays off.
Other sections
- Work and keeping going (559)
- Stoic calm (316)
- An open mind (366)
- Starting a business (299)
- For leaders (218)
- Working with people (214)
- Mindset and habits (339)
- Safety and health (219)
- Starting again (210)
- Pride in the job (185)
- True stories of people who started small