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Safety Quotes and Slogans

Here are some useful one-liners for e-mails, presentations, newsletters, or posters. All were sent in by our web visitors--we appreciate the help and participation.



•  A danger foreseen is half avoided.
•  A fugitive from the laws of averages: A person who doesn't wear their helmet while driving a motorcycle.
•  A fugitive from the laws of averages--that's you if you don't use your safety gear.
•  A fugitive from the laws of averages--that's you if you drink and drive.
•  A healthy tan is the first sign of skin cancer.
•  A safer you is a safer me.
•  A spill, a slip, a hospital trip.
•  Accidents hurt -- safety doesn't.
•  Alcohol reduces performance, impairs judgment and increases the willingness to take risks.
•  Alert today. Alive tomorrow.
•  An accident can ruin your career.
•  An accident could be a one way ticket to disability retirement.
•  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
•  Anger is one letter away from Danger. Drive gently.
•  Apply your good intention to accident prevention.
•  As screwed up as a bag of wire coat hangars--maintenance done without the MIMS.
•  As temperatures rise, stay safety wise.
•  At work at play, let safety lead the way.
•  At work, at home, let safety be known.
•  Avoid accidents, keep guards in place.
•  Avoid accidents, keep poisons locked up.
•  Avoid overexposure, pay attention to the sun.
•  Avoid the worst. Put safety first.


•  Better to have two on the job than one in the hospital.
•  Better to tie off than to fly off.
•  Better late in this world than early to the next.
•  Being alert never hurts.
•  Be a leader, follow safe procedures.
•  Be alert--accidents hurt.
•  Be alert, be aware, be alive.
•  Be proactive--not reactive--towards safety.
•  Be safe at work or you might miss welcome home, a hug, a kiss.
•  Be safety smart right from the start.
•  Be visible when biking or jogging, wear reflective material.
•  Before using any new equipment, read and fully understand the manufacturer's instructions.
•  Before you do it, take time to think through it. Use ORM.
•  Before you go boating, leave a float plan with a friend or marina operator.
•  Behind the wheel, anger is one letter away from danger.
•  Being safe is like breathing--You never want to stop.
•  Better to arrive late than never. Drive carefully!
•  Boat load limits; don't exceed them.
•  Boat safely, know before you go.
•  Bottoms up, booze and boating don't mix.
•  Broken tools can be replaced. You can't.


•  Carbon monoxide is the "silent killer", install CO detectors.
•  Caution--I Brake For Stop Signs.
•  Chance takers are accident makers.
•  Change the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors annually.
•  Check your shoes and don't let your day slip away.
•  Check yourself before you wreck yourself.
•  Children should always wear a helmet while riding their bikes.
•  Clutter-free halls prevent injuries from falls.
•  Complacency will hurt you when you least expect it.
•  Crashing sucks!


•  Danger never takes a vacation.
•  Do a pre warm-up and stretch prior to participating in any sport.
•  Do you know how to report an unsafe condition in your workplace?
•  Don't be a fool! Inspect your electrical tools.
•  Don't be a fool. Use the proper tool.
•  Don't be safety blinded, be safety minded.
•  * Don't fall short of a safe day--Beware of icy floors and slippery sidewalks.
•  Don't fix the blame, fix the problem.
•  Don't just preach safety, profit from it.
•  Don't learn safety by accident.
•  Don't leave safe habits at work, take them home.
•  Don't let safety take a holiday.
•  Don't let the light go out, wear eye protection.
•  Don't lose your head: Read signs instead.
•  Don't overload extension cords.
•  Don't put your life on the line. Think safety.
•  Don't stand next to the person who's always bandaged up.
•  Don't take unnecessary risks, use operational risk management.
•  Don't treat an emergency as normal and don't treat normal actions as emergencies.
•  Double check to prevent a wreck.
•  Dress for the weather. In cold weather, it's better to wear several layers of clothing than one bulky item.
•  Drink plenty of cool water to prevent dehydration in the summer.
•  Drinking and driving - There are stupider things, but it's a very short list.
•  Drive for safety.
•  DRIVE Safety - Don't Risk Injury, Value Everyone's Safety
•  Drive with reason this summer season.


•  Electricity can turn you off.
•  Exercise at a comfortable pace.
•  Exercise indoors when the air temperature plus the humidity reaches 150F.
•  Expect the unexpected. Gear up for safety.
•  Eyes are priceless, eye protection is cheap.


•  Falling objects can be brutal if you don't protect your noodle.
•  First... safety... last.
•  FOD -- This isn't your daddy's flight line.
•  Folks don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
•  For safe bicycling obey all traffic signals, signs and pavement markings.
•  For safety information check out our web site at
•  Forget the nurse with safety first.
•  Forgot your hearing protection? Forget about hearing!


•  Get a grip. To prevent a slip, use hand rails.
•  Get a medical check-up before starting any exercise routine.
•  Get help if the load's too heavy.
•  Get In S.T.E.P. Safety Takes Every Person.
•  Get smart! Use safety from the start.
•  Going fishing? Get hooked on safety.
•  Good habits will normally keep you out of bad trouble.
•  Good housekeeping prevents accidents.
•  Ground fault circuit interrupters prevent electrocution.


•  Hand in, hamburger out.
•  Hard hats, they're not just for decoration.
•  Have another day - by being safe today!
•  Have your chimney inspected by a professional before each heating season.
•  Have your furnace checked every year by a professional.
•  Health and safety, words to live by.
•  Hearing protection is a sound investment.
•  "Hey, wanna see something cool?" (Last words uttered before a mishap)
•  Home safe--not just for baseball.


•  Ice skating on thin ice can be deadly, skate in supervised areas.
•  If caught in a riptide: go with the flow.
•  If the cord has a fray, throw it away.
•  If the little voice says, "I wonder if this is safe to do?", it probably isn't.
If you don't have time to do it safe, do you have time to do it with a man down?

•  If you don't know what is going to happen, there is no way to stop it. Plan ahead for safety.
•  If you don't think it will happen to you, find the person who had it happen to them.
•  If you don't think it's safe, it probably isn't. Stop the job and contact your supervisor.
•  If you drink and drive, you might as well smoke.
•  If you mess up, 'fess up.
•  If you panic, be sure to run the right direction.
•  If you think safety is expensive, try ignorance.
•  If you think your safety specialist is a pain, try a leg fracture.
•  If you're going to be stupid, you have to be tough!
•  Ignoring a warning can cause much mourning.
•  In case of injury remember "rice"- rest, ice, compress and elevate.
•  Informed is better than deformed.
•  Is better to crash into a nap... than to nap into a crash.
•  It hurts to be unsafe.
•  It's easier to ask a dumb question than it is to fix a dumb mistake.
•  It's easier to get out of a bad situation five minutes earlier, than five seconds later.


•  Jog on established jogging paths where available.
•  Just because you always did it that way, doesn't make it right.


•  Keep cool in the sun, wear light-colored clothing.
•  Knowing CPR can save a life.


•  Labels are no good if they're not understood.
•  Learn from others mistakes, don't have others learn from you.
•  Leave firework displays to professionals.
•  Leave horse play to horses.
•  Lift with your legs, not your back.
•  Lifting's a breeze when you bend at the knees.
•  Light up your Christmas tree, not your home; use approved decorations and lights.
•  Living with your mistakes is harder than you think.... wear your safety gear.
•  Look for age recommendations before purchasing toys, and heed the recommendation.


•  Maintain your bicycle in good working order.
•  * Make safety first and you'll last.
•  Mixing bleach and ammonia can be deadly.
•  Momma didn't raise no fool... I use PPE to stay cool!
•  Move your ladder to avoid reaching.
•  Mow across the slope when using a hand mower. Drive up and down the slope for stability when using a riding mower.
•  Mowing and drinking doesn't cut it.
•  My job provides my paycheck, but safety takes me home.


•  Never check a gas tank with a lighted flare.
•  Never dive unless you know the depth of the water and the type of surface below.
•  No safety know pain, know safety no pain.


•  Operating a boat while intoxicated is illegal.
•  Operational Risk Management, it's not just for the workplace.
•  Operational Risk Management prevents accidents.
•  Organ donor -- A person who doesn't wear his or her helmet.
•  Our job is to save Sailors from themselves.


•  Pencils have erasers--mishaps don't!
•  People helping people--lending hands for our safety.
•  Personal floatation devices, don't leave the dock without them.
•  Plan and practice exit drills in the home.
•  Play it safe in the water, swim in areas with life guards.
•  Pretend like you are invisible when driving a motorcycle or bicycle, because a small percentage of people driving cars will never see you.
•  Prevent boating accidents, take a small boat safety course.
•  Prevent hunting accidents, know your target before you shoot.
•  Prior to games, check playing field to avoid fields of screams.
•  Proper planning prevents piss-poor performance.
•  Push, don't pull a hand mower.


•  Remove jewelry before play to avoid injury to yourself and other players.


•  "Safe and Sane" fireworks are neither, if the person shooting them off isn't, too.
•  Safe boating is no accident.
•  SAFE -- Staying Accident-Free Everywhere [or "Everyday"]
•  Safety -- a small investment for a rich future.
•  Safety can distinguish you. Lack of safety can extinguish you.
•  Safety comes in cans: I can, you can, we can.
•  Safety doesn't happen by accident.
•  Safety doesn't slow the job down but mishaps do.
•  Safety: expect the unexpected.
•  Safety first... because accidents last.
•  Safety gear -- 2 minutes ... Risk assessment -- 5 minutes ... A mishap that takes a life -- forever.
•  Safety glasses: All in favor, say "Eye!"
•  Safety glasses: Making foresight 20/20.
•  Safety has no quitting time.
•  Safety is about doing the right thing, even if no one is looking.
•  Safety is a cheap and effective insurance policy.
•  Safety is a continuing journey, not a final destination.
•  Safety is a mission, not an intermission
Safety is as easy as A-B-C: Always Be Careful.

•  Safety is as simple as ABC... Always Be Careful.
•  Safety is a value - not a priority.
•  Safety is everyone's responsibility.
•  Safety is no accident.
•  Safety isn't a hobby, it's a living.
•  Safety isn't expensive--it's priceless.
•  Safety prevents meetings.
•  Safety rules are your best tools.
•  Shortcuts don't cut it.
•  Slip, trip and fall are four-letter words.
•  Slow down! Your family will be waiting for you.
•  Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors save lives.
•  Snow may be falling, but you don't have to. You need the appropriate footwear at all times.

•  Stay in shape, not only during basketball season, but also after the season.
•  Step up, be safe, or step aside.
•  Still water doesn't always run deep, look before you leap.
•  Store guns and ammo separately.
•  Stretch and flex for your health and safety.
•  Stretch regularly and make it a part of your daily fitness program.
•  Swim only in supervised areas.


•  Take a safe hunting class before you go hunting.
•  The adage "look before you leap" is a life saver.
•  The only excuse for poor safety is poor planning.
•  The price of an accident is always high.
•  The safe way is the right way.
•  The stupid shall be punished.
•  There are no shortcuts to anyplace worth getting.
•  There aren't many new accidents, but there sure are a lot of new victims.
•  There's no face like your own, wear face protection.
•  There's no such thing as new accidents, just new victims.
•  This is not a hobby for me--I do this for a living.
•  This machine can kill you.
•  This tool will punch you in the face , if you let it.
•  Three b's of boating, boat safe, boat smart and boat sober.
•  To see or not to see, use eye protection.
•  Trimmings used on trees or around the home should be non-combustible or flame resistant.
•  True love is a blank OSHA 300 log on December 31st.


•  Unattended cooking means fire.
•  Unnecessary risks may leave you on the sidelines instead of in the game.
•  Unprepared = Unsafe.
•  Use Christmas lights that have been checked for safety. Look for the Underwriters' Laboratories label.
•  Use extreme caution when operating portable gas heaters while camping, fishing and hunting.
•  Use proper equipment for confined spaces or you may find yourself in the final confined space—a coffin.
•  Use the right tool for the job.
•  Use your head figuratively—wear a helmet..


•  Watch what you heat.
•  We all want to go home to our families at the end of the day
•  Wear a bicycle helmet to prevent serious head injuries.
•  Wear an approved bike helmet when you go bike riding, it could save your life.
•  Wear personal flotation devices, they float, you don't.
•  Wear the right protective equipment for the job.
•  What would improve safety on your job? Tell your boss.
•  When disconnecting cords, pull the plug rather than the cord.
•  When everything else fails, follow the instructions.
•  When in doubt, check it out.
•  * When it comes to safety, use your senses--especially common sense.

•  When it seems there is never enough time to do things the right way, remember there is always enough time for an investigation.
•  When it's hot, drink plenty of fluids.
•  When jogging, run against the traffic flow.
•  When safety is first, you last.

•  When you're out on the water, don't forget the basics of safe boating.
•  Work safe today--heaven can wait.


•  You always have time to do things right after a mishap.
•  You can't cure stupidity.
•  You can't get "home" unless you're "safe."
•  You get the level of safety that you are prepared to walk past.
•  Your accidents affect others too.
•  Your safety is everyone's responsibility, especially yours.

For some more useful items, check out our collection of Plan of the Day (POD) notes.

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Last Reviewed: 20 February 2014