As our economy begins to rebound from the effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic and businesses focus on implementation of growth strategies, leaders are encouraged to strive for continuous improvement in their efforts at managing safety and health in the workplace.
The provision of a safe working environment is a primary responsibility of management in any company, regardless of the size and nature of its operations. Workplace accidents occur for several reasons, so understanding why an accident happens is a critical step towards prevention.
Today, let us explore some primary contributing factors of accidents, including common behaviours that increase the likelihood of an accident taking place, and consider a few recommendations for strategies to prevent or reduce accidents.
An unsafe act can be described as performing an activity in a manner that is likely to threaten the health and safety of individuals. Unsafe conditions can be viewed as those conditions that increase the possibility of injury or property damage occurring. Individually or collectively, they represent strong indicators of poor safety attitudes as well as gaps in employee training and supervision.
Examples of Unsafe Acts and Unsafe Conditions
- Ignoring safety Procedures: Having confidence is a good thing but being overconfident can be dangerous. Failing to observe safety procedures can endanger all exposed individuals. Thinking “it can never happen to me” is an attitude that can lead to improper execution or disregard of safe work methods.
- Shortcuts: As we try to be more efficient, we may take shortcuts that can lead to unsafe conditions and increased chances for injuries. For example, working at the edge of a 20 ft. roof without installing the appropriate fall protection measures and conducting adequate training, prior to commencing the task. Always ask yourself – is compromising safety to save time or money, worth it?
- Incomplete instructions when starting a task/Lack of Employee Training and Supervision: Some employees may be shy or intimidated about asking for better instructions and will just try to “wing it”, instead of knowing exactly how to do things correctly. Employee training and supervision, especially new employee training is necessary to prevent accidents. Do not assume that everyone knows how to do his or her job correctly.
- Poor Housekeeping: A well maintained work area sets a standard for all. Poor housekeeping creates all types of hazards and sets the stage for accidents. Good housekeeping encourages pride and a safe environment.
- Faulty Equipment: A work environment where use of faulty equipment is accepted, is a recipe for disaster. Adhere to a regular equipment maintenance schedule and ensure adequate availability of functional tools and equipment. Have a procedure for dealing with faulty equipment and communicate it regularly.
- Mental Distractions: Doing a task safely requires mental attention. Things that distract a person from work (e.g., mobile phones in workshops) can create a hazard and can pull focus away from tasks at hand. Even casual conversations can be distracting and should be limited while work is in progress, especially when equipment is being operated.
- Insufficient Planning: Inadequate preparation without considering what is required, the risks arising from the work activities and how to execute safely, can result in accidents. Remember always… Plan Your Work.
Putting Safety First In Every Job We Perform
How do we avoid committing unsafe acts or operating in unsafe conditions?
- We start by putting safety first in every act we perform. We must adjust our attitude to recognise that completing a job quickly or as easily as possible, is not the goal. Our goal must be to finish a job while staying as safe as possible. To achieve this, we must think before we start any task, taking into account any safety issues, through dialogue and consultation. This means development and implementation of safe work practices and asking for assistance when unsure how to proceed safely.
- We must commit to scheduled and sustained training and education of our employees in safety and health principles and best practices.
- We must implement a strong safety culture driven by hazard identification and control, through regularly scheduled inspections and risk assessments of our facilities and activities.
- Work colleagues and supervisors must be willing to consistently speak out against unsafe acts and unsafe conditions (i.e., encourage and promote reporting of workplace incidents), while also providing positive feedback to those choosing to follow safe work practices.
- We must demonstrate the value of employee safety and well-being by hiring or engaging competent and qualified safety and health professionals.
- We should strive to create and maintain a culture of accountability at all levels of our companies. Attainment or failure to achieve targets for safety performance should be treated similarly to operational performance targets.
Unsafe acts and unsafe conditions always have the potential to cause injury or death no matter the excuse or justification used to commit or permit them. Excuses cannot make an unsafe action or unsafe condition any safer. Remember, there are few true accidents – most injuries result when a choice is made to commit an unsafe act or persons are exposed to unsafe conditions, without the implementation of adequate and appropriate safety measures.