Boise hangar collapse shows good intentions aren’t enough. Safety culture is needed | Opinion
In my thirteen years as the director for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration office in Idaho, I am approaching nearly 200 heartbreaking conversations with families who have lost a loved one in a workplace tragedy.
Then I have the difficult discussions with the employers. Almost without exception, they are decent, hard-working and well-intentioned business owners trying to make a living and providing a product, a service or building something to last for generations. None of them ever had ill intent. Most tell me that they care about their workers and never intended to hurt anyone.
Too late we find employers did not take sufficient action to know and ensure established safety practices were followed. Sometimes those involved did not know about the rules or guidance. But more often, shortcuts and complacency became the norm, and sooner or later shortcuts catch up, with entirely preventable tragedies happening time and time again.
Some employers get away with unsafe work practices for a long time without repercussions. During our investigations, we regularly hear comments such as “I’ve been doing it this way for 20 years without any problems.” Each time employers take shortcuts they are gambling with lives and livelihoods. It is critical to know and follow OSHA and industry safety standards.
The steel building industry has its own associations with long-established directions for the safe design and construction, including the American Institute of Steel Construction and the Metal Building Manufacturer’s Association. If you are in business, you must prioritize safety and follow the relevant portions of your industry’s standards.
The Boise airport hangar that collapsed six months ago was as wide as a football field is long, with many strong forces at play and little room for error. And even when it was very apparent during construction that the I-beams were bending and curved, work was not halted, and workers were not removed from the hazard of a probable collapse until appropriate steps could be taken.
Workplace safety and health must be a core value and an essential part of the business culture. Simply saying that you care for your workers is far from enough. A real commitment for safety must be made and demonstrated every day.
I am hopeful that we can all learn from the Boise hangar tragedy and step up our commitment to be meaningfully engaged in workplace safety and health at every step, from start to finish.