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Blaming the employee for causing an accident is a common problem. It can prevent an employer from determining the root cause, which means you’ll fail to prevent future accidents. Even though employee behaviors do contribute to incidents, employers are responsible for correcting behaviors just like they are responsible for correcting unsafe conditions.
J. J. Keller invited safety and HR professionals to share their challenges and success stories during an online Virtual Conference hosted on September 13, 2023. This virtual conference is separate from our webcasts and offers firsthand insight directly from your peers. Read on for the event highlights.
Our discussion shared the results of recent survey regarding company support for safety. See the article Survey finds most safety professionals face objections every week. |
An accident typically results from a combination of workplace conditions (hazards) and worker behaviors (actions). Too often, supervisors or accident investigators focus on the worker’s behavior and blame the worker. Although employee actions can contribute to incidents, the employee might have a reason for not following safety rules. Those reasons could include a lack of training, or even pressure from management to work faster. To help facilitate discussion, we offered two questions to get the conversation started:
On the first question of applying strategies to avoid blame, attendees shared their experiences in bringing about a culture change that increases emphasis on safety. Some highlights and suggestions shared included the following:
For related information, see our article on Tips and tricks for Interviewing witnesses after accidents.
On the second question of supervisor accountability, attendees noted a need for upper management support for holding supervisors accountable. Too often, production has priority over safety, particularly if a supervisor has been fired for failing to meet production expectations. Other thoughts shared included:
Employers can encourage a culture change through actions like tracking incidents and near misses, but a key is making things relatable and personable.
Key to remember: Blaming employees for accidents could prevent identification of a root cause, resulting in a failure to prevent future incidents.
Blaming the employee for causing an accident is a common problem. It can prevent an employer from determining the root cause, which means you’ll fail to prevent future accidents. Even though employee behaviors do contribute to incidents, employers are responsible for correcting behaviors just like they are responsible for correcting unsafe conditions.
J. J. Keller invited safety and HR professionals to share their challenges and success stories during an online Virtual Conference hosted on September 13, 2023. This virtual conference is separate from our webcasts and offers firsthand insight directly from your peers. Read on for the event highlights.
Our discussion shared the results of recent survey regarding company support for safety. See the article Survey finds most safety professionals face objections every week. |
An accident typically results from a combination of workplace conditions (hazards) and worker behaviors (actions). Too often, supervisors or accident investigators focus on the worker’s behavior and blame the worker. Although employee actions can contribute to incidents, the employee might have a reason for not following safety rules. Those reasons could include a lack of training, or even pressure from management to work faster. To help facilitate discussion, we offered two questions to get the conversation started:
On the first question of applying strategies to avoid blame, attendees shared their experiences in bringing about a culture change that increases emphasis on safety. Some highlights and suggestions shared included the following:
For related information, see our article on Tips and tricks for Interviewing witnesses after accidents.
On the second question of supervisor accountability, attendees noted a need for upper management support for holding supervisors accountable. Too often, production has priority over safety, particularly if a supervisor has been fired for failing to meet production expectations. Other thoughts shared included:
Employers can encourage a culture change through actions like tracking incidents and near misses, but a key is making things relatable and personable.
Key to remember: Blaming employees for accidents could prevent identification of a root cause, resulting in a failure to prevent future incidents.