TV’s Survivor: Has disregard for safety gone too far?
March 1, 2010 by Fred HosierPosted in: Injuries, Special Report, Stupid human safety tricks, What do you think?
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One of those so-called reality shows takes too cavalier an attitude about safety, according to a blogger in the general media. If that’s the case, we want to take the issue one step further: Do the media’s messages harm attempts to increase workplace safety?
Marc Hirsh blogs on National Public Radio’s Web site that CBS-TV’s Survivor has been “dangling … the prospect of people getting hurt as enticement to watch the show.”
The evidence he presents:
- A recent episode description: Injuries threaten to send two castaways home.
- The first injury took place just 17 minutes into the current season during the first round of the first challenge. Stephanie LaGrossa dislocated her shoulder.
- Host Jeff Probst’s comment about LaGrossa: “We have our first injury.”
- Later, Probst “gleefully” recounted the injuries suffered in the challenge.
And all the challenges on Survivor happen without safety gear required in professional sports — or in the workplace.
Hirsh also opines that “injuring yourself on the show stopped being a sign that you were stupid or clumsy or just plain doing something wrong and turned into a badge of honor.”
So there you have it: bodily injury as a badge of honor mixed with an attitude of “come on, tough it out.”
And that brings us to workplace safety. Have you ever encountered this situation? One worker, a “tough guy” with an “I-don’t-need-safety-gear-it’s-for-wimps” attitude, discourages others from using PPE.
Unfortunately, safety pros tell us that type of worker isn’t as rare as they’d like.
And, as the title of Hirsh’s article puts it, it’s “all fun and games until someone loses an eye.”
How do you counter the “tough guy” attitude when it comes to getting employees to wear PPE and follow safety rules? Can we do better, at work and at home, to encourage better safety attitudes? Let us know what you think in the Comments Box below.
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Tags: disregard for safety, people getting hurt, reality shows, Survivor, tough-guy attitude
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March 1st, 2010 at 6:23 am
[...] unknown wrote a very interesting post today. Here’s a quick excerpt:One of those so-called reality shows takes too cavalier an attitude about safety, according to a blogger in the general media. If that’s the case, we want | SafetyNewsAlert.com | Occupational safety and health news for workplace safety … [...]
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:03 am
I’m not sure the lack of safety equipment (PPE) would be as much of an issue as just the “be tough” image. Throughout the media and entertainment industry you have constant examples of the “heroes (a word that seems to have lost its meaning, but that is another issue), needlessly doing things in an unsafe manor. On that same note, I really get irritated when I see a police officer driving and talking on a cell phone. Their two-way radio is unavoidable (although handsfree devices should be required), but personal cell calls are avoidable.
Anytime some one in a position of authority, or influence, ignores safety procedures it endangers others.
Specifically reguarding the Survivor program, what does the network’s insurance carrier have to say about the program? I assume the participants sign waviers or something accepting the possibility of injury or even death.
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:29 am
well, reality show or not - in our place of work - if you don’t adhere to the safety policies you get written up and re-trained and if you break another safety rule there is no three strikes you are out - you are out, and this is in our employee manual in our safety policy, there is no room for some one that disregards safety rules and put’s them selves and some one else to be injured and then of course cause a financial liability to the company because of some one’s disrespect to the policies.
If they are that naive that they want to base their work conditions in a delusional state of a TV show as survivor then I suggest that they go and try out for the show and make their living that way.
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:43 am
I think the general public is able to differentiate a TV’s “reality” (and I emphasize reality) show and what happens in real life. The discussion on how TV stimulates violence or disregard for rules and regulations is far of having an end. Both sides have strong positions but both sides lack of further scientific investigation.
I would like to call your attention to another show, not labeled as reality. “Dirty jobs” intents is to present real (this time it is really REAL) world jobs that exposes people to several hazards. What we see is a serious disregard for basic safety rules of eye protection, respiratory protection, fall protection and other issues. Starting with the presenter who exposes the hard work some people face day-in / day-out but should present some alternative of personal protection.
That is a case for OSHA inspectors visiting the location where the series is being shot and assess the TV Company instead of local workers and the company being used for TV objectives.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Does anybody recall the “Dirty Jobs” episode where Mike Rowe and the crew at the terra cotta plant were ALL wearing their 3M 8511s upside down…with the nose bridge under the chin?
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:19 pm
Another “REAL” show demonstrating a real lack of commitment to safety and safety training - appears to be lawsuit land waiting to happen is AxMen on the History Channel! Obviously stupid work behaviors and owners providing no training, advice or protection to new or retained employees - in an already dangerous industry - logging!! All about speed and money!
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:44 pm
What do you expect from the entertainment industry?
Their safety record is terrible. They can care less about the safety of their contestants, actors, and all the studio workers. Just look at all the TV shows like Extreme makeover and all the accidents they have when filming movies.
Hollywood only wants money at any cost
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Man, I guess we are running out of ideas. Maybe contact Mike Rowe he’s always asking for new topics to work on.
Survivor?
March 2nd, 2010 at 1:09 pm
Our company has a 3 strikes your out rule on Safety.
1. Written up and re-trained.
2. 10 days suspension.
3. OK Stupid you’re OUT.
As a “Survivor fan, I saw that episode and it was another Survivor contestant that delibrately dislocated Staphanie LaGrosse’s shoulder in a wrestling match. The other contestant was not disciplaned at all.
There does need to be some ground rules even in reality programing. Did Staphanie have to get killed before disciplanary action took place?
March 2nd, 2010 at 2:15 pm
OSHA actually used the footage from Ax Men and handed out some very heafty fines.
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Imagine if OSHA decided to oversee ice hockey, football, WWF, etc. Would we all wind up watching Oprah and Dr. Phil?
March 2nd, 2010 at 4:57 pm
Obviously the blogger is totally in the dark. Travelers insures the show survivor and actually has risk managers on the site at all times. They aren’t about to allow the participants to engage in activities that are inherently dangerous. The general public only sees what the producers of the show want you to see.
March 2nd, 2010 at 6:01 pm
If we are concerned that stupid reality shows are not following safety procedures then all of you need to get a life. Should we then be concerned of the NFL. Should we not allow a safety to come from a full sprint and hit a reciever so hard his helmet flies off. Maybe OSHA could ticket him for not wearing his helmet correctly. Get a life people. Safety in our work place is completely different than a reality show trying to get ratings. These reality shows are competitive shows with good looking people with no talent, trying technical athletic challenges, of course there are going to be injuries. Since we have started a new safety program I have had all sorts of workers from the oldest senior foreman and the youngest apprentices creating new ideas how to work smarter and safer. You have to really look at the personnel you are working with. The majority of trade workers want to be safe while they are at work. Especially because if they are sitting at home injured un-able to work they are really taking a pay cut which anyone does not like, also getting hurt does hurt. Survivor is definately not like a worker putting up structural steel on a high rise with cranes dangling thousand pound beams overhead that would crush you in an instant, not a nice beach where you have to wrestle some hot hot chick where the only thing you have to worry about is a sun burn, there is no comparison. GET A LIFE!
March 2nd, 2010 at 6:35 pm
From the behind the scenes information I have read, Survivor does test their challenges to make sure they can be accomplished without injury. I don’t think the participants being unsafe is as important as the employees building and testing the challenges being unsafe (I don’t know what gear the testers wear when testing the challenges). The participants volunteer and know they are risking their health in order to win the prize. I think many people understand the difference between a challenge and the work place.
The manufacturing firm I work for has a safety policy that allows for termination if PPE is not worn correctly. We just let someone go who refused to where his safety glasses over his eyes - they spent most of the time up on his head. After numerous warnings, he was let go. Right now, with the economy and job market the way it is, it is easier for us to enforce our policies this way because we know there is someone qualified and willing to work that we can hire as a replacement.
March 2nd, 2010 at 6:37 pm
That’s right. Does anyone think that those chickens just happened to walk into the survivor’s camp, by themselves? What, a group of relative giant carnivores with no food for themselves, rummaging around looking for an immunity idol and then there’s these wild chickens off in the brush where there is all sorts of stuff to feed on decide to leave the safety of the bush and walk into the survivor’s camp — the same amount of chickens into both camps! Maybe the chickens just wanted to be in front of the camera or the chickens wanted to be paid scale.
TV is contrived, and that unfortunately includes the news coverage of Haiti and now Chile.
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:50 pm
Exactly why I don’t watch reality shows that sensationalize dangerous situations so that contestants can win money. We should not be encouraging these types of shows.
Real jobs that are dangerous; Emergency Rooms, Axe Men (which I have only seen Previews, the deep sea fishing shows etc, I believe are educational. They bring to light the hard working individuals that choose to engage in those professions despite the chance of personal injury.
March 3rd, 2010 at 9:42 am
Reality shows… and we wonder why the world laughs at us
March 4th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
Every time I have seen Mick Rowe on Dirty Jobs he has on PPE be it a safety harness and Extended Universal Precautions for tall building window cleaning to a complete suit from safety goggles boots masks gloves etc when going into clean out the waste collection areas of a water reclamation plant. There is usually a discussion of the dangers involved with these jobs as well how life saving PPE can be.
There was usually a section on what to watch for as common mistakes and when those mistakes are made. Many times part of the discussion included the absolute necessity of using PPE in spite of the discomfort of PPE. There were also discussions on Lock 0ut-Tag Out, the appropriate venting of areas that collect gasses the need for spotters in many tasks, even to how to use stock moving equipment safely.
There have been discussions on standard infection control procedures in particular when they were working with biological wastes and infectious agents.
I have not watched the show for about 6 months now but I had been impressed with the emphasis it had on Safety Management right down to ensuring air quality in enclosed spaces. If that has changed they do a disservice to us all from people involved in enforcing safety management to the people who must practice it as a way of protecting themselves their families and co-workers as well as the general public.
March 4th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
I refuse to watch reality shows but I do watch this old house and extreme make over home edition and I’ve seen some stuff, especially on the makover show, that makes my blood boil. That loud host wearing his hard hat backward makes me mad every time.
March 4th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Dirty Jobs also has an episode entitled “Safety Third”, in which Rowe examines how safety practices have helped and hindered the production of the show. Dirty Jobs certainly addresses safety regularly, but it is still entertainment. The safety policies of companies he works with (not the show itself) determine his PPE and safety procedures. It seems like companies would often lower their standards for the publicity, but one responsible safety officer ended up canceling the show because Rowe was not properly trained on the site’s equipment, and Rowe was bitter. “Safety Third” was an interesting episode, but did not show safety practices in a favorable light.
I think any time safety policies are examined through the lens of reality tv, they are bound to be distorted. Safety professionals would be more productive examining the practices of their peers than critiquing dislocated shoulders on Survivor.