Caring Courageously 

OpEd from the desk of Transporter Editor Reed Hollinshead

If you’ve worked here long enough, you realize that ITD is a big, quirky family. Old-timers have known that for decades. New employees learn that within the first week or so. If it's not part of the new employee onboarding process, it should be.

In any family, there are weird characters — a collection of introverts and extroverts, some analytical types and some who are ruled by emotion, some who are reserved and some who are out there. But a unifying hallmark is that family members care about each other. It’s not always easy, but it is a common thread. Sometimes caring takes courage.

I’ve heard stories where an unsafe situation was allowed to exist, and then when the inevitable accident happened, other employees mentioned that they knew it was going to go sideways – yet they just stood by. Or walked away, somehow thinking that absolved them of any responsibility to share their concerns.

I've heard stories of people reporting to work obviously impaired or horribly sick, and no one saying a thing. I get it. You don’t want to jam someone up, get them in trouble with their bosses, or stick your nose in somewhere you think it does not belong.

But safety is everyone’s concern. To shift our culture, it has to be.

There’s a phrase that is nautical and military in origin — “clear your decks.” It specifically has to do with getting rid of anything — tools, ropes, gear — that might hinder you at a time when quick, decisive action is needed. In war times, ships approaching battle were told to clear their decks, and that meant clearing it of anything that might entangle the crew.

That’s where we are now – we need to clear the decks of preconceptions, conditioned responses or those things that keep us from unencumbered action. Keeping everyone safe demands such. 

Safety is not just the responsibility of the district or division’s safety officer. It is everyone’s responsibility.

Many of us have families of our own. Even if they are weird or quirky, we want the best for them. Imagine having to choose which of your family members makes it home safely that night. Sophie’s Choice. A gut-wrenching decision, right?!

Well, if we don’t speak up when we see something unsafe, we are silently making that choice with our ITD family members.

Our culture needs to be one where the caring we have for each other overrides any obstacle to doing The Right Thing. Exposing areas of weakness should lead to challenging and strengthening, not punishing.

Published 03-16-18