Back in August, as I was wrapping up the editorial for this issue of Cleaner, I received an email from an industry contact with a link to a story about two sewer workers who died on the job.

I spoke briefly about it with our online editor, who was reluctant to write a story about the incident because it’s the same story we’ve told countless times: Workers enter a sewer without proper safety gear and die when they’re overcome by hydrogen sulfide gas. I didn’t disagree with the decision not to write a story, but it got me thinking.

It was easy for us to say, “We’ve done that story enough times already.” I’m sure for some of you, it’s also easy to assume you’ll be fine without a gas detector or confined-space gear because you’ve climbed into a pipe without those things and come out unscathed hundreds of times before. But that’s the thing with safety protocols, nine times out of 10 – maybe 999 out of 1,000 – you can side-step them and be fine.

Unfortunately, the one time you really need to take those precautions to make sure you get out alive, you don’t, and there’s no second chance to learn that lesson. Some of you will read this and think it can’t happen to you. Others will take the lesson to heart, because it’s one you don’t want to learn on your own. I hope you’re among the latter.

The two young men who died, Jarrod Camp, 41, and Jeremy Johnson, 36, undoubtedly realized the consequences of their mistake as they gasped for their last breaths in a dark, dirty sewer pipe below a mall in Phoenix. Tragically, it was too late.

Safety measures need to be top of mind at all times for anyone who enters a sewer pipe or tackles any other job that poses a potential threat. Skipping a step here or there might get you off a job site a little faster, but it could mean leaving a life behind and no payday justifies that.

It’s the same on the job as in real life. It may not seem risky to drive two blocks to the corner market for a gallon of milk without wearing your seatbelt: You’re familiar with the route, you could drive it with your eyes closed, but familiarity breeds complacency, and you’re more likely to get into an accident on that short trip than on a cross-country adventure.

It is the responsibility of all company owners and managers to make sure confidence never outweighs caution, so that preventable accidents never cause an injury, or worse yet, death. You must instill a culture of safety, where everyone is expected to address any potential issue before it has a chance to cause problems, where everyone is encouraged to take the time to do things the right way and look out for their co-workers.

One unique way to help build safety into your crew’s daily routine is with vending machines that dispense personal protective equipment. The machines are relatively new and can be configured to meet your company’s specific needs, from ear plugs and gloves to respirators and hardhats. With an electrical outlet and an Internet connection, the machines automatically track and report usage and inventory, so everyone has easy access to the equipment they need, and you know who’s making the effort to protect themselves.

These machines aren’t going to prevent every accident, but they provide another avenue to make safety a part of your company culture, and that’s a good start.

Stay safe, and enjoy this month’s issue.