⭐ Why “Common Sense” Has Nothing to Do With Safety
- Michael Matthew
- 23 minutes ago
- 2 min read
(And Why Saying It Is One of the Most Dangerous Things a Leader Can Do)
Let’s get this out of the way:
“Common sense” doesn’t exist.Not the way people think it does.
Yet it’s one of the most common phrases heard after an incident:
“They should’ve used common sense.”
“Anyone would know better.”
“It’s just common sense not to do that.”
But here’s the truth leaders don’t always want to confront:
Calling something ‘common sense’ is a way of blaming workers for gaps we failed to see, fix, or train.
And it’s killing safety culture more than any missing guardrail, unlabeled chemical, or worn-out PPE.
Let’s dig into why.
⚡ The Psychology: Common Sense Is Not a Skill—It’s a Story We Tell Ourselves
Your version of “common sense” is built from:
your childhood
your culture
your previous jobs
your training
your mentors
your near-misses
your experience with risk
your values
your fears
This is where safety breaks down:Leaders assume something is obvious…when to a new worker, it isn’t even visible.
❗ The Dangerous Belief Behind “Common Sense”
When leaders use the phrase “common sense,” workers hear:
“If I don’t get it, it’s my fault.”
“I shouldn’t ask questions.”
“I’m supposed to already know this.”
“Speaking up will make me look stupid.”
And that’s how silence enters the workplace.
Silence → Assumptions → Shortcuts → Injuries it’s a predictable chain reaction.
“Common sense” is the enemy of learning.
🔥 The Reality: Safety Is Not Instinct — It’s Education, Training, and Culture
No one is born knowing:
lockout/tagout sequences
confined space requirements
rigging angles
electrical approach boundaries
how to spot complacency
the energy wheel
how to read a SDS
fall protection anchor ratings
what “line of fire” truly means
These are skills, not instincts.
Skills must be taught.Skills must be practiced.Skills must be reinforced.
And most importantly—skills must be verified.
🛑 Here’s the Test That Proves “Common Sense” Is a Myth
Ask ten workers:
“What does working safely look like on this task?”
You will get ten different answers.Every time.Every trade.Every company.Every industry.
That is not “common.”That is diverse experience shaped by personal history.
This is why standardized training, clear expectations, and consistent reinforcement matter.
🧠 The Leaders Who Understand This Build Stronger Safety Cultures
High-performing leaders do three things differently:
1️⃣ They treat every worker as new to the task
Even experienced workers need refreshers.Experience ≠ infallibility.
2️⃣ They replace “common sense” with “shared understanding”
Shared language.Shared expectations.Shared checklist.Shared standard.
3️⃣ They normalize asking questions
When workers feel safe to say “I’m not sure,”you prevent injuries long before PPE is ever needed.
💥 The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything
Instead of saying:
“Use common sense.”
Say:
“Let’s make the safe way the clear way—and the only way.”
Because safety isn’t built on instinct.It’s built on clarity.Reinforcement.And leaders who understand the psychology of human performance.
🚨 A Hard Question Every Leader Should Ask Themselves
If a worker gets hurt doing something we assumed was “common sense”…did we train the worker poorly, or did we train the assumption too well?
That’s the question that separates traditional safety from exceptional safety leadership.
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