"Normalization of Risk", How sobering

I received an email on Friday concerning the death of a rescue worker who was killed more than a year ago.  I didn't work with him, didn't know him, in fact, he didn't even work for the same agency I did.  The short story of the man he was and the job his did along with the details of how he died, was not just a reminder of how short life really is, it was a prelude to the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey might have said.

I paraphrase the story here, removing the personal and logistical details....

A rescue fell to his death during the rescue of critically injured climbers.  This public servant, a 33-year-old former U.S. Marine sergeant, was in his fourth season doing this type of work with the agency. He was following his passion for the outdoors, having worked in various jobs that developed his expertise as a ski patroller, medical technician, and mountaineering and river ranger. Those who knew him describe him as a quiet, competent leader with a strong, commanding presence.

The investigation following the accident determined he died because he was not anchored with fall protection during the rescue. He lost his balance and fell from a helicopter doing what he had done many times before. Yet, the reason he died is far more complex. He was not wearing fall protection likely because of a common human tendency known as “normalization of risk” which is to become desensitized to the risk around us and subconsciously accept high levels of risk as being normal after continuously repeating the behavior without negative consequences.

Think about that for a minute.  Doing things we have done over and over before, ignoring how to do them safely because I haven't gotten hurt before.  Does this bring things like texting while driving to mind?  Running down stairways with holding the handrail?  How about smoking?  You get the idea.  

While this is not about texting while driving or other types of distracted driving, let's use it an an example.  There are laws prohibiting texting while driving and studies that report the causalities and serious injuries, yet people do it anyway.  We found the same failure in life today from people accepting unnecessary risk.  The message went on to say the lesson for us all is to make it a practice to carefully reevaluate the risks we accept as normal—or even mundane—and to build in a margin for error, create and follow our written procedures, and provide and use our training. Listen to the experts, give them credit for what they do.  we all need to be watchful of the tendency of families, friends and co-workers to “normalize” risks and must intervene to prevent this from occurring in life today. We also have to look out for one another and to get beyond the apprehension of correcting our peers when we see them engaging or preparing to engage in behaviors that may get them or others hurt.

Let's go out and live a better, safer life...  not be wrapped up within ourselves...  smell the roses.  Life is short enough without cutting it shorter because we take unnecessary risk.