When it comes to safety rules, their purpose is usually clear-cut: to help ensure no one gets hurt. As we all know, most of those rules have been written in blood—created in response to incidents where someone did get hurt.
That brings us to the next point: understanding the rules. The word “understanding” however, isn’t always so straightforward. For example, knowing that safety glasses are required to protect your eyes is not the same as understanding the specific hazards—or combination of hazards—from which they protect you. And in some cases, the precaution isn’t about a known hazard at all, but an unknown one.
This deeper level of understanding—recognizing what the hazards might be and the true intention behind the rule—ensures that people take the right measures to protect themselves. Following the rules is important, but understanding them is what takes safety beyond the rules.
Balmert Consulting
October 2025