Safety Measures People Ridiculed Or Fought Against That Are Now Mainstream

“When any one asks me how I can best describe my experiences of nearly forty years at sea I merely say uneventful. Of course, there have been Winter gales and storms and fog and the like, but in all my experience I have never been in an accident of any sort worth speaking about. I have seen but one vessel in distress in all my years at sea, a brig, the crew of which was taken off in a small boat in charge of my third officer. I never saw a wreck and have never been wrecked, nor was I ever in any predicament that threatened to end in disaster of any sort.

“I will say that I cannot imagine any condition which could cause a ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that.”

Captain E.J. Smith, Captain of the Titanic

Hey, Lovelies.

Have you ever wondered how ideas become adopted for supporting human safety? At first there is always a push-back. But good ideas, backed by science, always end up coming into public use as an accepted part of our lives. Why? Because they work.

Here are some ideas that are mainstream now, but were radical when first proposed:

1. Washing hands before surgery or attending a childbirth
2. Providing enough Life Boats for every person on a ship
3. Seatbelts in cars
4. Bicycle and motorbike helmets
5. Banning smoking in public places
6. Baby capsules and child car seats
7. Smoke detectors in private homes
8. Blood alcohol limits for drivers

Let me add one more.

9. Facemasks, social distancing and hand washing during a pandemic

I’ll leave you with two worthwhile quotes.

“You don’t need to know the whole alphabet of Safety. The A, B, C of it will save you if you follow it: Always Be Careful.”

Colorado School of Mines Magazine

“Carefulness costs you nothing. Carelessness may cost you your life.”

Safety saying from the early 1900s

The world is still in an escalating pandemic. The best form of treatment is prevention. Stay safe. Practice kindness. Think about your own wellbeing, and the safety and wellbeing of everyone around you.

Much love, Nicole xx