Become an Archco Employee

The world's worst excuses for not working safely

Have you ever tried to justify not working safely or heard a co-worker making excuses for unsafe acts? Few of us are immune from occasionally making excuses or taking risks. Here are 10 of the worst excuses for not working safely:

• I didn’t know-Why didn’t you ask your supervisor to find out before you started working?
• I wasn't paying attention-What were you thinking about? What could be more important than keeping alert to hazards while you work?
• I meant to, but...-But what?
• I forgot-How could you forget about something as important as your own safety?
• I didn't have time-Do you have time to be laid up in the hospital because of an accident?
• It could have happened to anybody-Then why did it happen to you?
• We were just fooling around-Will you still think it was fun when someone gets hurt?
• Safety equipment is uncomfortable-Would you be more comfortable without an eye, with a hole in your head, or with toxic vapors in your lungs?
• Rules are for fools-And what do you call someone who ignores a rule made for his/her own safety and takes a reckless risk?
• I thought it would be okay just this once-Just how many times do you have to take a risk before you have an accident?

When you get down to it, there really is no good excuse for unsafe acts.