The 129th Safety Files: One Accident Affects Many Published Aug. 4, 2010 By Tech. Sgt. Vincent Brouillard 129th Rescue Wing Safety and Health Specialist MOFFETT FEDERAL AIRFIELD, Calif. -- Have you ever thought about the impact that one accident can have on an organization. Think about the impact for a minute, think about how an organization would function if an employee has been injured at work and put medical leave. What are the impacts? Employee Stress - Time and effort is needed to train another employee to do the job - Others must now pick up the slack, work harder and possibly work longer hours - Employees now can't taking vacation time to keep from falling too far behind - The decline in employee morale Financial Costs - The time to conduct an investigation in support of the employees mishap - Production loss in down time while you train other employees - Medical costs, compensation costs, overtime costs, etc.... A mishap doesn't just affect one person; it affects the entire team, office or possibly a wing. Next time you think about cutting corners at work, think about the effect you could have on your co-workers and the mission. Your fellow employees are counting on you to do the right thing.