--- title: Why safety may not be a priority. description: A company will have a tough time getting buy-in to their safety program if they try to convince employees that there is more than one priority. image: https://www.kevburns.com/hubfs/Buy-in006.png --- Why safety may not be a priority. [![KevBurns Learning: We teach industrial supervisors how to be really great leaders.](https://www.kevburns.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Kev-Burns-Learning-white.png?width=240&height=118&name=Kev-Burns-Learning-white.png "KevBurns Learning: We teach industrial supervisors how to be really great leaders.")](https://www.kevburns.com/) - [About](https://www.kevburns.com/about-kevin-burns) - [Supervisor Training](https://www.kevburns.com/supervisors) - [Try First 6 Days Free](https://www.kevburns.com/6days) - [52 Benefits of Safety](https://www.kevburns.com/52-benefits) - [Hope Calculator](https://www.kevburns.com/calculator) - [Issues](https://www.kevburns.com/safety-issues) - [Safety](https://www.kevburns.com/safety-issues) - [Operational](https://www.kevburns.com/operational-issues) - [Growth](https://www.kevburns.com/growth-issues) - [Resources](https://www.kevburns.com/books) - [Books](https://www.kevburns.com/books) - [Newsletter](https://www.kevburns.com/newsletter) - [Downloads](https://www.kevburns.com/downloads) - [Case Study NBU](https://www.kevburns.com/nbu-case-study) - [Case Study WCC](https://www.kevburns.com/wcc-case-study-2026) - [ROI Videos](https://www.kevburns.com/videos) - [Speaking](https://www.kevburns.com/speaking) - [Media/Podcast](https://www.kevburns.com/media) - [Blog](https://www.kevburns.com/blog) - [Contact](https://www.kevburns.com/contact-us) - [About](https://www.kevburns.com/about-kevin-burns) - [Supervisor Training](https://www.kevburns.com/supervisors) - [Try First 6 Days Free](https://www.kevburns.com/6days) - [52 Benefits of Safety](https://www.kevburns.com/52-benefits) - [Hope Calculator](https://www.kevburns.com/calculator) - [Issues](https://www.kevburns.com/safety-issues) - [Safety](https://www.kevburns.com/safety-issues) - [Operational](https://www.kevburns.com/operational-issues) - [Growth](https://www.kevburns.com/growth-issues) - [Resources](https://www.kevburns.com/books) - [Books](https://www.kevburns.com/books) - [Newsletter](https://www.kevburns.com/newsletter) - [Downloads](https://www.kevburns.com/downloads) - [Case Study NBU](https://www.kevburns.com/nbu-case-study) - [Case Study WCC](https://www.kevburns.com/wcc-case-study-2026) - [ROI Videos](https://www.kevburns.com/videos) - [Speaking](https://www.kevburns.com/speaking) - [Media/Podcast](https://www.kevburns.com/media) - [Blog](https://www.kevburns.com/blog) - [Contact](https://www.kevburns.com/contact-us) # Kevin Burns Blog #### Improve safety culture. Build teamwork. Get employee buy-in. [Current Articles](https://www.kevburns.com/blog) [RSS](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/rss.xml) [Why Work With Kevin?](https://www.kevburns.com/about-kevin-burns) # Why safety may not be a priority. Posted by [Kevin Burns](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/author/kevin-burns) on September 8, 2021 Episode 6 of the Safety Buy-in video series tackles company priorities and why you may be having a hard time getting buy-in to your safety program by adding safety as one of your priorities. What are your company’s top priorities? Are there 3 priorities? 5? Or maybe 10 priorities? Whenever I hear about a company having multiple priorities, I am taken back to high school English class with Sister Clare Gallagher. She would have certainly scolded me if I had tried to suggest that there could be more than one priority. Priority means that. THE priority. There can only be one. Oh sure, you can have a lot of important things but there is only one priority. [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/237929/215a3914-0aad-4352-9788-74770b88211a.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/237929/215a3914-0aad-4352-9788-74770b88211a) A company will have a tough time getting buy-in to their safety program if they try to convince employees that there is more than one priority. Or that safety is among its long list of company priorities. If everything is a priority, then there is NO priority. So, what is your company’s one priority? I’ll bet you can’t answer it. [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/237929/2af7c74f-524c-4675-a254-1dad423104a9.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/237929/2af7c74f-524c-4675-a254-1dad423104a9) So, think about this. What is the most important thing right now that your company needs to be focused on? The one thing that if you were doing it exceptionally well, it would have a positive effect on other departments and successes. See, that’s the priority. Simplify and clarify your safety message. Then, you can lean into your one real priority. *You don't need more rules and reminders in safety. You need more of your employees to buy-in. And that takes a very different approach.* Topics: [safety culture](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/topic/safety-culture), [safety buy-in](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/topic/safety-buy-in), [safety communications](https://www.kevburns.com/blog/topic/safety-communications) ### Subscribe today to Kevin's blog --- Kevin Burns' newest book, **The CareFull Supervisor**. This is the book that every frontline supervisor should read.   ![carefull-supervisor-3d-covers-400-1](https://www.kevburns.com/hs-fs/hubfs/carefull-supervisor-3d-covers-400-1.png?width=253&height=253&name=carefull-supervisor-3d-covers-400-1.png)   **BUY NOW:** [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/CareFull-Supervisor-Tools-Succeed-Employees/dp/1039197256)| [B&N](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-carefull-supervisor-kevin-burns/1144577942) | [Indigo](https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/the-carefull-supervisor-the-tools-to-succeed-and-be-the-supervisor-employees-want-to-have/9781039197268.html)| [FreisenPress](https://books.friesenpress.com/store/title/119734000383321344)| [Kobo](https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-carefull-supervisor)| Audible --- ### Recent Posts - About - [Supervisor Training](https://www.kevburns.com/supervisors-old) - [Blog](https://www.kevburns.com/blog) #### © 2026 PeopleWork Align Inc. [![Kev-Burns-Learning-white](https://www.kevburns.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Kev-Burns-Learning-white.png?width=180&height=89&name=Kev-Burns-Learning-white.png "Kev-Burns-Learning-white")](https://www.kevburns.com)