The dramatic shortfall in basic safety knowledge is a critical issue that needs to be fixed
Why safety culture should not be just pretty words
In the midst of a safety training event for journalists in New York last October, I was jolted by devastating news from Ukraine. A Russian S-300 missile had struck a residential building in Zaporizhzhia during the night. My colleague, Daniel Lekhovitser, a then editor at the Ukrainian news outlet Zaborona, was in that building. Two floors collapsed onto his apartment.
Daniel was the sole survivor of this attack among his neighbors. Rescue workers, astonished by his survival, deemed it a miracle. But it was Daniel's quick thinking that saved his life. As the first explosions resounded, he instinctively sought refuge in his bathroom, a commonly advised safety haven. The rationale is simple yet vital: two walls between you and the explosion give a better chance of survival. One wall may give way upon impact, while the second can intercept shrapnel and debris. In Daniel's case, a beam in his bathroom prevented the upper floors from collapsing onto him. His survival was not a mere miracle but a testament to his knowledge of essential safety measures.
This incident underscores a critical issue: individuals in the most vulnerable areas often lack fundamental safety knowledge. There's a pressing need to educate people, especially those in danger zones, about basic safety protocols that can mean the difference between life and death.
Historically, safety training has been a privilege reserved for military personnel, government officials, and business executives
Before the Russian invasion, the majority of Ukraine's population was unaware of crucial safety measures like the "two walls" rule, despite the ongoing war in Eastern Ukraine since 2014. However, since February 2022, Russian forces have been bombarding various locations across Ukraine daily, devastating residential areas both near the frontlines and far from actual combat zones. The nature of these attacks varies, ranging from random shelling due to misguided missiles or navigational errors to deliberate strikes on civilian infrastructure and homes. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, over 10,000 civilians, including more than 500 children, have been killed, with 17,000 injured, since 2022. Thousands remain unaccounted for. Every Ukrainian now knows someone who has been killed, injured, or otherwise impacted by these brutal assaults.
So why do people still lack basic knowledge of safety protocols?
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