Avoiding the "Blame Game" approach to accidents

Event occurred on September 13, 2023, and is no longer open to registration.

Accidents often result from a combination of workplace conditions (hazards) and employee behaviors (actions). Too often, supervisors focus on behaviors and blame the injured worker for causing an accident. However, supervisors are responsible for both addressing physical hazards and correcting unsafe behaviors. If the injured worker didn’t recognize the hazard, or ignored safety procedures, understanding why is key to preventing future incidents. Blaming the worker might prevent an investigation from uncovering the true root cause. Placing blame will also likely discourage employees from reporting future incidents.

If employees ignored hazards or safety procedures, there’s probably a reason. Potential reasons might include:

• A supervisor encouraged taking shortcuts to work faster
• Lack of training, inadequate training, or unwritten rules to ignore training
• Failures to conduct routine maintenance or inspections
• Lacking appropriate equipment or PPE
• Failures to consistently enforce safety procedures and ensure they are followed

This event will examine some real-world situations where blaming the employee would have prevented the employer from finding the true root cause. Attendees will then enter breakout rooms to share their experiences, challenges, and successes on overcoming attempts to blame the injured employee.

Event Presenters

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