The importance of certifying your competency in “Verification of safety and hygiene conditions” through CONOCER EC0391.01

Dear reader, you will agree that one of this country’s weaknesses is our generally poor safety culture, although I know there are many exceptions. Forget the company or office for a moment: it starts in our homes. Many of us men stand on stools or buckets and perform balancing acts to change a bulb or lamp. We mow the lawn in flip-flops, rush through showers, leave sneakers, shoes and clothes scattered everywhere, and walk across wet floors on cleaning days. I could describe countless other situations that make our poor safety culture plain.

A few days ago, I watched a series of Facebook videos called “Why Men Live Shorter Lives.” I invite you to watch them: they are very funny, although some accidents seem straight out of a film. Still, we cannot hide the obvious truth: this breed of alpha males, with hairy chests, Zapata mustaches and lumberjack arms, claims to fear nothing and shy away from nothing because, above all... “Are we men or clowns?”

Well, these demonstrations, besides being funny, reveal a lack of prevention, care and anticipation, and above all, a willingness to defy danger. We might think they are games or adventures involving “fun-loving youngsters,” but no: there is evidence of men and women of all ages doing this. More worrying is that these “games” are no longer limited to parties, swimming pools or fooling around. We are beginning to see dangerous situations in industry, particularly in large warehouses, maneuvering yards and spaces within our companies.

 

Because, let me tell you an experience.

 

Some time ago, a client approached JST&C needing help with the dreaded STPS audits. The authorities had suddenly arrived and, during their inspection, made a huuuge number of observations about issues as basic as a lack of personal protective equipment. In other words, to cut a long story short, many employees were shamelessly showing off their shiny new sneakers instead of wearing safety shoes with slip-resistant, electrically insulating soles and protective toe caps. When staff were asked why they were not wearing the correct footwear, the answers were “they tire me out,” “they are heavy,” “they do not look good on me,” “they make my feet look huge,” and many other senseless excuses. Their safety culture was clearly enough to make you cry.

What is happening? We like to play the daredevil, the tough guy: “Are we men or clowns?” “Nothing will happen.” “It is a government invention”—now that face masks have become part of everyday clothing. Beyond that, however, people responsible for HSSE often do not clearly understand their job or where their responsibilities begin and end.

That is why CONOCER, which certifies and improves professionals' competencies in Mexico, developed EC0391.01 for verifying safety and hygiene conditions. This standard focuses entirely on equipping staff with the clear competency to understand what must be attended to, checked, reviewed, validated and observed during safety inspections. It also covers validating administrative documentation. Yes, it is a headache, but without having it ready and prepared, there is no way to substantiate, validate or, above all, measure the HSSE department's work.

This is a monumental task, but it is also vital for every company to adopt a world-class approach to 0 accidents. In leading global companies, these processes are essential, basic requirements for effective operations. Dear reader, regardless of your company’s size, fundamental preparation and development in this competency assure management that safety, hygiene and proper operating practices will ALWAYS be priorities—and, above all, thoroughly verified to ensure the company’s operation and survival.

 

Keep that in mind.

Rock´n roll people!