Meaning & use
safety first
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
A principle saying that avoiding danger should come before every other goal, such as speed or profit.
Grammar: Often a slogan or a modifier: a safety first policy.
Patterns
- put safety first
- a safety first approach
The site manager repeated that safety first was the rule on every shift.
Safety first, so wear your helmet before you ride.
The airline takes a safety first approach to maintenance.
phrasefixed phraseinformalhumorous
Said, often with humor, when someone plays it safe or takes cautious steps.
Grammar: Used as a short comment, often with a smile.
I checked the ice twice before stepping on it. Safety first!
He packed three umbrellas, saying, "Safety first."
Common combinations
- a safety first policy
- The factory has a strict safety first policy.
- safety first approach
- Parents tend to take a safety first approach to cycling.
- remember safety first
- Remember safety first when you use power tools.
- safety first campaign
- The council launched a safety first campaign near schools.
Synonyms and how they differ
- better safe than sorry
- Better safe than sorry is a proverb advising caution, while safety first is a rule or slogan.
- play it safe
- Play it safe is about a personal choice, whereas safety first sounds like an official principle.
- caution
- Caution is one general attitude, not a slogan or a priority rule.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: safety first or first aid?
safety first vs first aid
First aid is emergency help given to an injured person, while safety first is a principle for avoiding harm in the first place.
Practice
The sign at the building site says 'Safety first'. What does it ask workers to do?
Choose one answer.
Safety first means avoiding danger has priority. Speed is the opposite of the message, and first aid kits are only one related idea.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “safety first”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.