Does safety matter?

I almost feel guilty about taking another poke at children's books, but there is more going on here. I found this photo, taken by the author, Jerry Boucher, in the book Fire Truck in the nuts and bolts series.

The books takes the reader on a journey from start to finish in the design and construction of a fire truck at a small mid-west manufacturer (http://www.customfire.com).

A fire truck is a piece of safety equipment, so I was a bit surprised to see that hardly anyone working in the factory wears any eye protection. (The welders are the obvious exception.)

If this an issue? Well as an example for children yes. And what if I am holding the insurance policy for this factory. I read the book and see that the workers are not required to wear eye protection. My reaction might be to either cancel the policy, or jack up the premium. And I'd certainly take a second look at any claims for eye injuries.

While this is only a children's book, and a 19-year old one at that, the issue about how much information you share about your firm's practices are critical. In the days of facebook etc, information about your firm's internal practices is likely to come out when you least expect it. Every piece of information about how your firm does business can and will be used by the people you do business with. Whether it is from your website, or in a children's book, your firm's lapses in safety practices may come back to haunt you.

In the 1990s New Yorker cartoon famously stated that, "On the Internet no one knows you're a dog"; now you need to be aware that the person looking at a photo of your factory may not have your firm's best interests in mind. The information you provide, or allow to be provided, may harm your business, and you have an obligation to be both accurate and prudent.