By MICHAEL O’REAR

You show up before the shift starts.
You walk the floor, check the gear, listen to concerns.
You catch the small risks before they become incidents.

You push paperwork that no one reads,
Sit through meetings where no one listens,
And carry the burden of everyone else’s safety – while barely being included in the budget.

But here’s the truth:
The systems are safer because you are there.

The injuries are fewer because you saw the signs.
The teams trust each other more because you built the culture.

Not every win has a headline.
And not every hero wears a vest marked “Director.”

Some of the best safety leaders out there are the ones nobody sees.

Michael O’Rear is the head of safety at Core Personnel Staffing Services.