When we think of living in a civilized world, leading a meaningful worthwhile and responsible life, we are to be impelled by our conscience to have the basic right of leading a safe, healthy and buoyant life, full of cheers, love, compassion, fellow-feeling, responsible citizenship and progress. But this does not come automatically, many a times we have to strive for it and make strenuous efforts to inculcate that nature and bent of mind.

Some bonds are natural and relationships in majority of the cases follow almost automatically. For example, the commitment, care, love and responsibility for safety, health and welfare of the child are intrinsic in mother’s nature. It forms the basic nature of mother. It need not come from outside. Although, some help, information, suggestion and steps are needed from outside where they are required to be supplemented in modern scientific and technology-oriented lifestyle. For example, how to maintain safety, health and wellbeing at homes where electricity, gas, modern gadgets, even chemicals etc. are used in abundance?

But for majority of the relationships and situations, the commitment and involvement are not automatic. They are to be inculcated by the guardians and in-charge. Sometimes, even both of these are whipped by law to be responsible and not be complacent. Reasons are obvious. The individuals, society and the nation at large lose a lot when citizen’s Health Safety Welfare (HSW) are in peril. HSW are the basic needs in society and they are the fundamental rights of the citizens in democracy, but in India, the situations are very bad and need urgent remedies by all of us – mostly by the in-charges, people in power and authority.

A brief about ‘intrinsic’ is desirable. What is it? Something integral, inseparable, unthinkable, present as a basic nature – as heat is to fire, mass is to an object, sensibility in any part of the live body, –etc. Mass in an object is intrinsic whereas weight is not, since it depends on extent of gravitational acceleration, i.e. weight = mass x g; where ‘m’ is intrinsic and ‘g’ is extrinsic i.e. variable.

Another conceptual example in an enlightened democracy can be that its citizens have an intrinsic sense of nationality towards their nation i.e. they live, work and also die for the nation. A live example can be the marshal national – Israel. Japanese industrial managements imbibe such intrinsic sense of responsibility for the HSW of their workmen and people. They do not claim in vain, but mean and work as such. Leave aside talk of fatality, even any painful injuries are considered as management’s failure which invites the attention of top management. Every working manager in the line function is an HSW manager first, and then he/she discharges further operation, quality and production functions. Such is the golden link of Japanese managers with the human side of the fellow workforce. These managerial qualities are required to be developed in other parts of the world as well.

At the individual level as well, HSW is required to be imbibed by the person concerned. Honestly speaking, most of us must admit that we are ourselves not mindful and dutiful to maintain sound HSW standards. Look at the young generation – their food habits, lifestyles, sense of safety, vitality, and buoyancy in career to attain some level of reputation.

On the career building front and attainment of development in various chosen pursuits, if we are slack and unmindful, we are losing a bright opportunity of excellence in present human life that providence has so graciously showered on us human beings. At the personal and family level, let us make safety, health and welfare aspects as our prime and intrinsic trait and even destiny to have a worthy living.

When working in any organization or serving the society in any capacity, safety, health and welfare remain our key elements. While in industries, make employees and fellow-workmen’s HSW an intrinsic company value, rather than a mere way of working. Such efforts shall lead to building a workplace HSW culture, worthy of emulation by others. It shall improve all-round work performance on all fronts as good HSW is good business.