Seriously threatened people had been given a life extension. They started to feel better and no doubt in their minds the death threat receded. If people can be casual about an actual brush with death, the mere threat at work of an amputated hand or finger sort of pales into insignificance. On the job, it is imperative to follow up on employees to make certain that any behavior change is maintained. Workers do not expect injuries to occur to them.
Injuries are rare and that fact is repeatedly confirmed in their own experience.
Since people do not expect injuries, loss control programming and follow-up has to make up for the lack of individual bad experience. When it can be demonstrated that people who experienced a near death threat returned to alcohol consumption, it is easy to become pessimistic about the lasting success of behavioral safety change techniques. All of which is a reminder that behavioral safety is an arrow, not the arsenal. Copyright 2001 by Business News Publishing Co.