Something’s Off
You are opening a hotel lobby.
What needs attention?
The suitcase in the walkway. It could make it harder for people to get through or cause someone to trip.
A coworker chews loudly during break.
Safety problem or just annoying?
Annoying, but not a safety problem.
You spill a drink while stocking a cooler.
Nobody saw it, and your shift ends in ten minutes.
You follow the spill procedure instead of leaving it for the next worker.
Good call or bad work habit?
Good call.
It is your first week in retail.
Your lead asks you to open boxes and hands you a box cutter you have not used before.
What could you do before starting?
Ask them to show you the safe way to use that cutter.
You take the trash out at a sandwich shop.
Then you come back to help prepare food.
What needs to happen before you start?
Wash your hands using the workplace handwashing steps.
Your café is busy.
You notice a small spill near the drink station.
Nobody has fallen.
What should happen?
Follow the spill procedure or tell the right person before someone gets hurt.
You are stocking a store.
What matters most right now?
The box blocking the emergency exit.
A customer leaves a shopping cart partly across a walkway.
Safety problem or just annoying?
It can be a safety problem because people need a clear path.
You notice a damaged cart.
Your coworker says:
“Don’t tell the lead. I’m the one who broke it.”
What should your decision be based on?
Whether the cart is safe to use, not whether the coworker feels embarrassed.
You have pushed regular carts many times.
Today you are asked to use powered equipment you have never used.
A coworker says:
“I can show you really quick.”
What should you check first?
Check what training the workplace requires before using it.
You are wiping tables.
The spray bottle you normally use is empty.
There is another bottle under the sink with no label.
A coworker says:
“Pretty sure that’s the same stuff.”
What would you do?
Do not use the unlabeled bottle. Get the correct product or ask.
There is a line of customers.
Your register freezes, so your lead tells you to use another station.
When you get there, a cord is stretched across the walkway.
What should happen before you start using that station?
The cord/walkway problem needs to be handled or reported first.
You work at a café.
What would you deal with first?
The cord across the walking path.
The printer is running very slowly while customers are waiting.
Safety problem or another kind of work problem?
It is a work problem, but not usually a safety problem
You make a mistake while preparing food.
You are not sure if the food is still safe, and nobody else noticed.
What is the stronger work choice?
Tell the lead what happened so they can check it.
You learned a task during training last month.
You remember most of it, but you cannot remember what happens after step three.
What should you do?
Ask for the missing step instead of guessing.
A utensil used with raw meat gets placed with tools being used for ready-to-eat food.
What is the concern?
Cross-contamination.
You are stocking during a rush.
The item you need is on a high shelf.
The step stool is being used by another worker.
You could probably reach the item if you stand on the bottom store shelf.
What is the better choice?
Wait for the proper equipment or ask for help. Do not climb the shelving.
You are setting up a community room.
What should be checked before people use the room?
The unstable folding table.
Your uniform shirt is irritating your skin during every shift.
Safety problem, access/work issue, or just annoying?
It may be a real work or health/access issue even if it is not an emergency. The worker can ask who to talk with about a change.
Your team is behind.
A coworker says:
“Skip that step. We always skip it when it gets busy.”
You were trained to do the step.
What is the better work choice?
Check before skipping it.
You know how to use a tool.
Today it sounds different and keeps stopping while you use it.
You are almost finished with the task.
What is the better choice?
Stop using it and report the problem instead of trying to finish first.
You are cleaning at the end of a shift.
One cleaner is not removing a stain.
Someone says:
“Add some of this other cleaner. It’s stronger.”
What should you do?
Do not mix the products. Follow the label/work directions or ask which product should be used.
You are helping at a hotel breakfast area.
A guest tells you there is liquid on the floor.
At the same time, another guest asks you for directions.
What would you handle first?
The possible spill needs quick attention. You can briefly tell the other guest you will help in a moment, then follow the spill procedure or get help.
You are working in a stockroom.
What would you do?
Report what you noticed and stay clear if needed. Do not assume it is safe only because nobody else reacted.
A manager gives you a task you dislike. The task is part of your job, you have been trained, and you have the right equipment.
Is the task unsafe because you do not like doing it?
No. Disliking a task does not automatically make it unsafe.
You are new.
You notice something that may be unsafe, but you are not completely sure.
Everyone else looks busy, and you do not want to seem difficult.
What would you do?
Say what they noticed and ask the right person instead of staying quiet or pretending to know.
Example:
“I noticed this shelf is leaning. Is this area okay to keep using?”
A coworker shows you a shortcut that is faster than the way you were trained.
Several other workers use the shortcut too.
You are not sure whether it is allowed.
What would you do?
Check the procedure or ask the right person before changing the way you do the task.
A cleaning product splashes onto a coworker’s arm.
You know where the Safety Data Sheet is, but you do not remember what the product says to do.
What is the better move?
Get trained help and use the workplace emergency information or SDS instead of guessing what treatment is needed.
You are closing a store.
Everyone wants to leave.
While putting equipment away, you notice one cart is damaged.
Someone says:
“We’ll tell them tomorrow. We’re already clocking out.”
What would a reliable worker do?
Report it or follow the workplace process now so the next shift does not assume the cart is safe.