Several years ago, I heard a story of a man who was watching his young son riding his bike up and down the street as he sat on the front porch. In what should have been an uneventful moment, his son’s shoe came untied and he jumped off his bike to retie it. In a matter of seconds, the neighbor’s car began to back out of their driveway, unaware that his son was directly behind them! He was powerless to intervene. Thankfully, his son was only shaken, this became a pivotal moment in their lives.

Many OSHA regulations call for someone on the job site to make sure that people, equipment and the site don’t come together in the wrong way. Generally known as a “spotter,” this person provides guidance so people don’t get hurt and things don’t get damaged.

However, the role rarely gets the respect or attention it deserves. Most people think that being a spotter is an easy job that doesn’t require a lot of brainpower, so the task is often handed to the “low man” on the site, or assigned to someone who’s not particularly busy that day. Either way, the person performing the role gets little – if any – preparation or training.