I wasn’t always a safety guy. Early in my working life, I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to do. Now, with over 25 years in manufacturing and general industry safety, I look back and see how much the world has changed for the better when it comes to prevention and the quality of our work environments.
My first real job was at a retirement home, working in dietary as a dishwasher. It was fast-paced, unpredictable and largely self-managed by the frontline crew. One night, a manager known for his aggressive inspections showed up. Everyone was tense. We rushed. We cut corners. We focused more on avoiding criticism than doing the job safely.
Trying to impress him, I removed a protective cover from an electrical component on the dishwashing machine to clean underneath it. The floor was flooded. My sponge was wet.
The next thing I knew, I was experiencing electrical shock, frozen in place, unable to move, my senses scrambled. When I came to, that same intimidating manager was standing over me, repeatedly asking if I was OK.
What stuck with me wasn’t the shock, it was the transformation. His tone changed. His posture changed. He was genuinely concerned. The next day, the facility had its first-ever safety meeting, sparked by a near-fatal incident. That moment planted a seed: behavior, leadership style and fear can directly influence unsafe acts.
After my incident, that manager became approachable, empowering and supportive. He realized his style mattered, and so did the environment he created.
My second job was as a union steelworker. There was no onboarding, no training and no safety education – just hazing and a “figure it out” mentality. I worked my way into the crew and earned respect. Then, one day, while manually handling thin-gauge steel, it curled back and punctured my neck. Blood everywhere. Panic. Chaos. Yelling. No one actually called 911.
I survived with seven stitches and a scar I still carry.
What happened next changed my life.
The company president asked me one simple question: “How do we make sure this never happens again?”
I sketched an idea – an ergonomic, safety-driven modification to the machine. He listened. He acted. Within 12 hours, it was built and installed. A week later, in front of leadership, he used my experience as proof that frontline insight saves lives. Then, he said something I’ll never forget: “Frank will chair our first safety committee. And if anyone gets in his way, they answer to me.”
That’s how I became a safety professional – by accident, by injury, by leadership that listened and by a culture that chose learning over blame.
That plant went on to have the best safety performance it had ever seen. What started as pain turned into purpose.
I still have the scar. It reminds me of this truth: culture beats compliance. You can be compliant and still be unsafe. Real safety happens when leadership listens, fear is removed and frontline voices are valued. That’s the work I’ve committed my life to, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Both incidents shaped me in ways that will last a lifetime. The lessons continue to be passed on to the next generation, regardless of workplace or industry. My hope is that leaders read this story and commit to building safety cultures that go beyond compliance.
Frank Mifflin
Corporate EHS and Quality Manager
Air Hydraulic Corp.
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Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication