In strict grammatical terms, according to Merriam-Webster, “safety” is actually a noun. A noun is a word that refers to a thing, an individual or a concept. However, treating Safety as a noun in the workplace can be a dangerous mistake. To say “Safety is a Verb” is to argue that safety is not something you have or a place you reach, but something you DO. Verbs are words that show action.
When we treat safety as a noun, we view it as a static achievement or a “thing” to be possessed. If nothing went wrong today, a noun-based mindset assumes we were “safe.” The problem with this view is that it relies on lagging indicators and it defines safety by the absence of accidents rather than the presence of active protection.
To be safe, an absence of accidents, is a passive state of existence often dependent on luck. To DO safety is an active, disciplined practice of risk management. Moving from the noun to the verb requires shifting your focus from results such as not getting hurt, to inputs, the specific actions that prevent harm.
Under this philosophy, safety is a continuous performance. It exists only in the moment-to-moment decisions and behaviors of the people involved. It may look like assessment of new hazards before every task, clearly communicating about risks, adjusting methods and tools for the current conditions or choosing the correct procedure even when it is slower or less convenient.
Safety is not a trophy on a shelf. It is the cycle of assessment and planning, actions taken, and lessons learned. You are “doing” safety when you anticipate what could go wrong, monitor for changes in the work environment and respond immediately to hazards. A verb-based approach creates a proactive culture. If safety is a noun, then “safety” belongs to the safety department. If safety is a verb, it belongs to everyone on the floor or on the jobsite. It transforms workers from passive observers of rules into active managers of risk.
This mindset acknowledges that work environments are dynamic. The equipment wears down, weather changes, tools or materials are missing, and people get tired. A static noun cannot account for these changes, but a verb can. By “doing” safety every day, an organization builds resilience rather than just compliance.
While the Merriam-Webster Dictionary does actually list a technical verbal form of safety, meaning “to protect against failure”, the true value of the “safety is a verb” concept is philosophical. It serves as a reminder that safety isn’t the destination we arrive at; it’s the way we travel. It is the expenditure of energy and the constant motion required to keep people out of harm’s way. If you stop doing these things, you are no longer “safe,” regardless of how many days have passed since the last accident. Safety is a high-energy state and the moment you stop “doing” it, the natural entropy of the world begins to increase your risk.
In short you don’t “achieve” safety, you practice it every day.
For more information and/or assistance, contact:
Wayne Vanderhoof CSP, CIT
Sr. Consultant/President
RJR Safety Inc.