Don’t You Just Hate Repeats?

Just consider how much even one accident can affect your workplace by:

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  Lowering morale about employer commitment to safety
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  Creating fear about working in unsafe conditions
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  Adding stress from worrying about another accident
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  Breaking confidence in being sure of safe working environment
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  Slowing production

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You need safety policies, but you don’t have to write them. We’ve already written them for you in BLR’s Essential Safety Policies program. Examine it at no cost or risk.

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As a supervisor, you can take several steps to prevent these negative effects from multiplying. Follow these do’s and don’ts.

DO:

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  Make eliminating repeat accidents a safety goal. If an incident happens, recommit yourself to safe working habits.
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  Outline steps to reach that goal. The first step is to have no incidents at all. If an incident does occur, subsequent steps include investigating the accident and making specific changes to procedures, tools, or equipment to prevent it from happening again.
• 
  Communicate the priority of this goal clearly. Pay attention to daily or weekly safety reports and reminders that keep repeat accidents “in the news” as a major concern in the company.
• 
  Promote an accident-free culture. Be a safety advocate and encourage co-workers not to take shortcuts, use substitute tools, or otherwise increase their risk of accidents.
• 
  Suggest rewards as incentives rather than using punishments and discipline as deterrents. This will make preventing repeat accidents a positive goal rather than a negative experience.
• 
  Emphasize hazard detection. Always be on the lookout for potential safety problems and hazards.

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Get the safety policies you need without the work. They’re in BLR’s Essential Safety Policies program. Try it at no cost and no risk.

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DON’T:

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  Don’t send mixed messages about the priority of not repeating accidents. Everyone needs to know that one incident is bad enough, that it is taken very seriously, and that it is the company’s top priority to prevent it from happening again.
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  Don’t use discipline without also offering help. You know that supervisors need to follow company policy on the consequences of accidents. But also ask them to provide support so you don’t have another accident.
• 
  Don’t lecture. People don’t respond well to this method inside or outside the classroom. Lectures don’t work because they turn          co-workers into passive receptors rather than engaging them in their own safety performance.
• 
  Don’t blame. Even if you or a co-worker makes a mistake, other contributing factors need to be addressed. The goal is to ultimately fix the problem, not to blackball someone.
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  Don’t assume the worst of people, stereotyping them as troublemakers, for example. This assumption can backfire by becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy for the singled-out employee.
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  Don’t give pep talks with simplistic answers. Actions speak louder than words, so back up encouraging words by making real changes and offers of assistance. 

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Why It Matters…

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  Approximately 20% of workers cause 80% of workplace accidents.
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  The high price of even one accident includes direct costs, such as workers’ compensation and medical expenses.
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  It also includes indirect costs, such as accident investigations, replacement worker training, replacing damaged equipment, and increased insurance premiums.

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