You’ve no doubt heard the slogans: “ Safety First ,” “Safety # 1,” “Safety is Our Highest Priority,” and a host of others that convey the same idea. Some companies go so far as to place this slogan on hardhat stickers or stop-authority wallet cards to drive home the idea that safety will not be compromised. These are well meaning efforts as their intent is to posture safety as the highest of all priorities to preclude anyone taking a shortcut on the job and placing himself at risk. But do these slogans really communicate the right message?
