Accidents occur for many reasons. Management can be linked to many incidents, through improper newhire orientation, task training, or equipment training. Supervisor accountability of in place safety processes can also be linked to incidents.
In most industries people tend to look for “things” to blame when an accident happens, because it’s easier than looking for “root causes,” such as those listed below. Consider these underlying accident causes, and ask yourself if you have been guilty of any of these attitudes or behaviors. Were you lucky and got away without injury? Maybe next time your luck may be on vacation.
• Taking Shortcuts: Every day we make decisions we hope will make the job faster and more efficient. But do time savers ever risk your own safety, or that of other crewmembers? Short cuts that reduce your safety on the job are not shortcuts, but an increased chance for injury.
• Being Over Confident: Confidence is a good thing. Overconfidence is too much of a good thing. “It’ll never happen to me” is an attitude that can lead to improper procedures, tools, or methods on the job. Any of these can lead to injury.
• Starting a Task with Incomplete Instructions: To do the job safely and right the first time you need complete information. Have you ever been sent to do a job, having been given only a part of the job’s instructions? Don’t be shy about asking for explanations about work procedures and safety precautions. It isn’t dumb to ask questions; it’s dumb not to.
• Poor Housekeeping: When clients, managers or safety professionals walk through your work site, housekeeping is an accurate indicator of everyone’s attitude about quality, production and safety. Poor housekeeping creates hazards of all types. A well-maintained area sets a standard for others to follow. Good housekeeping involves both pride and safety.
• Ignoring Safety Procedures: Purposely failing to observe safety procedures can endanger you and your co-workers. You are
being paid to follow the company safety policies—not to make your own rules. Being “casual” about safety can lead to a casualty!
• Mental Distractions from Work: Having a bad day at home and worrying about it at work is a hazardous combination. Dropping your ‘mental’ guard can pull your focus away from safe work procedures. You can also be distracted when you’re busy working and a friend comes by to talk while you are trying to work. Don’t become a statistic because you took your eyes off the machine “just for a minute.”
• Failure to Pre-Plan the Work: There is a lot of talk today about Job Hazard Analysis. JHA’s are an effective way to figure out the smartest ways to work safely and effectively. Being hasty in starting a task, or not thinking through the process can put you in harm’s way.
Instead, Plan Your Work and then Work Your Plan! “It is better to be careful 100 times than to get killed once.” (Mark Twain