By: Rebecca Ciganek EHS Director
When we talk about the “why” behind safety, there are really two “whys” we need to understand. There is the “why” behind the safe work practice, the reason we are being asked to do something a certain way. Then there is our own personal “why,” the things we value that influence whether we believe that ask matters. Understanding both, and how they connect, can make the difference between simply telling someone to work safely and helping them understand why safe work practices matter.
Ever hear a child repeatedly ask “why” when given an instruction? Our first inclination may default to the old, familiar response, “because I said so,” just to stop the madness. However, our curiosity for “why” is not something we just grow out of. Instead, as adults, we move beyond simply asking “why” and begin evaluating “what” is being asked of us and “why” we should do it. That distinction matters because we rarely accept an ask based solely on the instruction itself. We compare it against what we already know, what we have experienced, and what we believe matters. In other words, we answer the “why” for ourselves, rejecting or accepting the validity of the ask.
Everyone has a “why” for what they do. Why do we get up and go to work every day? Why do we make the choices we make? Why do certain things matter more to us than others? Our experiences, responsibilities, and values (the people or things that are important to us) help shape the answers to those questions. Our “why” influences what we are willing to accept and what we believe is important enough to act on.
This is where safety becomes challenging. Safety “asks,” or better, what is being asked of us, are filtered through what we already value, know, and believe. From there, we decide whether the ask is valid. The “why,” or reasoning behind a safe practice, does not always align with our personal experiences, goals, or priorities. When it doesn’t, the ask can feel unnecessary, annoying, or like an interruption to getting the job done. Just as we discussed earlier, we are using our own reasoning and value scale to answer both the “what” and the “why” for ourselves. If we want people to understand why a safety practice matters, how we approach that conversation matters.
Understanding the culture of an organization means taking the time to understand the people doing the work, their experiences, what they value, and ultimately, their “why.” The same safety ask can mean something very different depending on the person receiving it.
Maybe it is the worker who has been doing the job for 30 years without a serious incident. They value their weekends on their Harley and, based on years of experience, may view a new safety process differently than someone new to the work. Thirty years of successfully performing the work has shaped their understanding of what safe work looks like, and naturally becomes part of how they evaluate the purpose and value of a new practice.
Maybe it is a young, single parent in the apprentice stage of their career, working toward greater financial security for themselves and their child. They are still learning the trade and may be more open to new safe work practices because they are building their understanding of how the work should be performed. Their “why” may look very different. There is a child depending on them, a career they are working to build, and a future they are trying to create. Those things become part of how they understand the value behind the ask.
Or maybe it is a newly promoted foreman who has worked hard to earn their position and is now learning to balance the value of their own experience with the responsibility of holding others accountable to established safe work practices. They may feel confident in how they have always performed the work, but their new role asks them to look beyond their own individual experience and lead others through the expectations of the organization. Their “why” may include the position they worked hard to achieve, the responsibility that now comes with it, and the desire to be successful as they grow into their new role.
Our “why” can be a spouse, a child in college, an elderly parent, a dog waiting at the door, a career we have worked years to build, or simply the life we have built outside of work. What gets each of us to work every day, and what we want to get home to at the end of it, will look different for everyone.
A safety professional has to understand the driving factors behind both “whys.” We need to understand the reason behind the safe work practice we are asking someone to follow, but we also need to understand the personal “why” influencing how that ask is received. That requires knowing the culture, knowing the work, and taking the time to know the people performing it.
Even when we communicate an expectation without judgment or personal bias, the ask may not automatically be welcomed. As we established earlier, it is human nature to question what is being asked of us and determine its value for ourselves. This is where our approach matters. Taking the time to listen and learn from the people doing the work gives us a better understanding of their experience and perspective. It also gives us an opportunity to explain the reason behind the ask, not just what we expect them to do. That exchange gives both sides an opportunity to better understand the value of the “why.”
As we approach OSHA’s 2026 Safe + Sound Week, we have an opportunity to slow down and connect with the people on the ground who make the work happen. Take the extra few minutes to explain the “why” behind the ask and to understand the “why” of the person receiving it. Our experiences, perspectives, and personal reasons may be different, but ultimately, we share the same goal: to perform the work safely and make sure everyone has the opportunity to return to what matters most.
Your “why” isn’t just what gets you to work. It’s also what gets you home.