Managing safety in any workplace is important for keeping everyone – from workers to clients to supervisors – safe. This chapter of the Safety Manager Series will explain how to reduce unsafe acts in the workplace. Employees and managers alike have the potential to create and maintain a workplace where safety is the top priority. A safer working environment requires everyone to be on board. Protect yourself, your workers, and your reputation. Contact the experts at ACUTE today to learn more about safe work practices for your entire team!
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How To Reduce Unsafe Acts In The Workplace
How does your company react after a workplace injury? Are employees punished if their actions led to the accident? Do you focus on the investigation? Do you focus on preventing future incidents? There are a number of approaches, some that have proven more effective than others, for reducing unsafe acts in the workplace.
Punishment For Unsafe Behavior
Some companies will go as far as to fire or demote employees who fail to follow safety procedures that are in place and in turn cause an accident. Because of their lack of commitment to safety their employment can be terminated. This is when a workplace implements punishment for unsafe behaviour. While punishment can remove an individual who may not value safety, in many cases it could also remove an individual who may just require further safety training. Punishment can even create a disconnect between workers and management that could cause workers to avoid managers or even disregard some safety requirements. Punishment and discipline should always depend on the worker’s behaviour, and not just the fact that an accident occurred.
Check out this case in Newfoundland where there were fines charged as a punishment to the two individuals involved: Death on the Job: Fatal NL Workplace Accident. The accident was fatal due to an explosion.
Investigation And Corrective Actions
Many other companies avoid using punishment after an accident as a strategy to discourage unsafe behaviour. Instead, they focus on using accidents as a learning opportunity. This way, there is no blame assigned to one person, rather these companies focus on fixing the procedures that were involved in order to prohibit repeat incidents.
The Best Way: A Balanced Approach
The best plan when it comes to reducing unsafe acts in the workplace is always a balanced approach. The balanced approach combines both employee discipline and accident investigation to learn from and correct wrong practices. It is also important that safety rules are communicated regularly to employees. Check out this article on how a daily safety talk significantly decreases the likelihood of workplace accidents. There should be a written policy for both punishment and investigation, outlining the consequences for each violation. By approaching each situation with a balanced approach and involving your employees in preventing future accidents, you create a positive environment that promotes health and safety. Are you looking for more health and safety resources? Check out our article on the 7 Best Health and Safety Videos.
Safety Training Checklist
Lastly, this checklist can be used as a reference for Ontario employers to understand some of the training and posting requirements depending on the size of your organization.
For All Workplaces…
1. Have all your workers completed basic occupational health and safety awareness training?
2. Have all your supervisors completed basic occupational health and safety training for supervisors?
3. Have your staff received WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) training?
4. Have you conducted a workplace hazard analysis to determine other training requirements for your staff?
If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” contact ACUTE today to find out what steps you need to take to meet the requirements for employers in Ontario under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
For A Workplace With 6 Or More Regularly Employed Workers…
1. Have your staff selected a worker health and safety representative?
2. Have you created an occupational health and safety policy?
3. Have you created an occupational health and safety program?
For A Workplace With 20 Or More Regularly Employed Workers…
1. Have you created a JHSC (Joint Health and Safety Committee)?
2. Have at least one worker and one management member of the JHSC completed JHSC Certification Training?
If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” check out ACUTE’s Basic Training for Joint Health and Safety course offerings.
ACUTE: Trusted Advisor To Safety Managers
ACUTE’s experienced team members have been serving safety professionals for over 20 years. They’ve done the work and become safety advisors. Trust ACUTE for hands-on, practical training and keep your employees safe in the workplace. ACUTE is dedicated to workplace safety and understands the importance of course and training provider approval. Why get workplace safety training with ACUTE? Here are just some of the benefits of working with ACUTE.
- Open Door Instructor-Student Partnership – ACUTE’s training services emphasize client participation. Staff foster relationships with clients and serve as a touchstone for advice anytime moving forward.
- Serving Your Team and Industry – With a vast array of clients in manufacturing, construction, health, academic, and government sectors, ACUTE brings the best safety practices from across the spectrum to your workplace.
- 200 Years Combined Experience – ACUTE provides comprehensive health and safety training, on-site safety services, and consulting services. With over 200 years of combined experience, our company staff offer more than theoretical or abstract ideas. ACUTE offers solutions.
- Track Record of Success – ACUTE is rated 4.9/5 stars on Google reviews, demonstrating a commitment to our clients, quality, and passion for training.
“We have relied on ACUTE for years to train our staff and
keep them safe on the job site.”
– Bob, Millwrighting Company – Read More Testimonials Here!
Click here to see what training courses we have at ACUTE or contact us today for quality training in your workplace or on-site at ACUTE’s proven training facilities!
ACUTE is located in Waterloo, Ontario, and services customers from cities such as Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, Milton, Kitchener, London, Guelph, and others across Ontario.
