It’s an important job! Never ending journey! “Systemic weaknesses can persist unnoticed inside high-performing organizations. Safety professionals must once more examine the complex relationship between operational success and the potential for incidents and fatalities.”
A lack of incidents doesn’t mean a safe workplace. Safety leaders must look deeper and proactively ask questions about how success is achieved and at what cost.
When Zero Incidents Hide Real Risks An incident free record doesn’t always mean a safe workplace. As Sidney Dekker explains, success can sometimes mask growing risks. When organizations focus too much on “zero harm,” people may stop reporting issues, and safety turns into a performance rather than reality. Hidden problems stay unnoticed until something goes wrong. Real safety means: Encouraging open reporting. Reviewing successes as critically as failures. Focusing on real risks, not just statistics. Zero is not the goal, honesty and learning are.
A lack of incidents doesn’t mean a safe workplace. Safety leaders must look deeper and proactively ask questions about how success is achieved and at what cost.
A lot of this can be attributed to luck or a lack of reporting. Risk has to be diligently and deliberately thought out to minimize harm to employees.
A lack of incidents doesn’t mean a safe workplace. Safety leaders must look deeper and proactively ask questions about how success is achieved and at what cost.
This article highlights the main reason why I don't encourage companies to have "zero incidents" Having a goal of zero incidents creates a culture where incidents are condemned, hidden, and swept under the rug. It creates a culture of fear around incidents and injury support, it creates a culture of hiding incidents that legally should be reported... and can actually damage the organization in many ways. Some negative impacts of having a zero incidents goal include: - culture of fear and shame around reporting incidents - workers become anxious and nervous about getting hurt which can in turn actually cause them to be more likely to make a mistake or get injured - potential OHS fines or stop work orders from being caught hiding or covering up workplace incidents that required reporting - fines or penalties from WCB for not reporting injuries as legally required - potential jail time or criminal negligence charges for knowingly covering up incidents and injuries - audit failure; when injuries and incidents are not handled correctly it will reflect poorly on an audit and can cause you to fail Although I think it's healthy to have a goal of keeping incidents to an absolute minimum, having a goal of zero is not it. The goal should be that no incident will go by without investigation, and proper corrective action. Further to that, the best way to prevent that incident from happening again is developing proactive procedures and TALKING ABOUT THEM. Discuss them in safety meetings, committee meetings, toolbox meetings. Post about them on memo boards. Request formal team review and sign off on new procedures following an incident, and explain why the new process is in place. Prevention is absolutely possible, being proactive with how we handle incidents for the overall goal of awareness, improvement, and growth is key.
A lack of incidents doesn’t mean a safe workplace. Safety leaders must look deeper and proactively ask questions about how success is achieved and at what cost.
This is a fantastic article about safety. What many people don’t know is that some of the WORST process safety accidents occurred within facilities with the BEST safety records. Don’t be fooled by vanity metrics! Here was a great line in the article: “Muster the leadership courage and humility to make it safe for people to talk.” I don’t care what you’re doing - that’s great advice!
A lack of incidents doesn’t mean a safe workplace. Safety leaders must look deeper and proactively ask questions about how success is achieved and at what cost.
Oil & Gas Safety Professional with +14 years of work experience, onshore and offshore.
Question: what’s occurring when nothing is occurring? An incident-free record may not guarantee safety and could instead signal hidden vulnerabilities. Leaders must adopt a mindset of inquiry, questioning how success is achieved and what sacrifices might have been made along the way.
A lack of incidents doesn’t mean a safe workplace. Safety leaders must look deeper and proactively ask questions about how success is achieved and at what cost.
Building adaptive safety culture in the modern workplace In a world where change is constant, safety can’t be static. This article explores how forward-thinking organizations are evolving their safety programs — blending psychological safety, resilience, and tactical readiness to better protect people on every shift. If you lead safety, operations, or organizational culture, this is a must-read. 🔗 Read the full piece: https://lnkd.in/gpuEcfww #SafetyCulture #WorkplaceSafety #PsychologicalSafety
HSE Professional | NEBOSH,IOSH&OSHA Certified | Workplace Safety | Construction Projects – KSA/QATAR
Workplace safety is more than following rules — it’s about creating an environment where everyone feels responsible for protecting themselves and others. Key steps to foster a strong safety culture: ✅ Proactively identifying and addressing hazards ✅ Encouraging open communication and reporting of near-misses ✅ Continuously improving processes through feedback and collaboration When safety becomes part of the culture, productivity increases, risks decrease, and employees feel valued. What strategies have you found effective in promoting safety in your workplace? Let’s share insights and learn from each other! #HSE #WorkplaceSafety #SafetyCulture #RiskManagement #ContinuousImprovement
“Understanding what employees actually experience, rather than what employers assume, could be the key to building more effective workplace safety programs.” That idea drives our newest research, and it’s starting conversations nationwide. Last week, we released the 2025 Small Business Employee Voice on Workplace Safety Report, exploring how leaders and employees think differently about safety, from mental health to communication and training. Now, EHS Today is taking a closer look: 🧠 32% of employees say mental health is their top safety concern. 💬 Only 62% feel confident their employer can support it. ⚙️ 28% say they’ve never received formal safety training. Read Adrienne Selko's full article at: https://lnkd.in/gqd8P3Au Or take a closer look at all of our workplace safety findings: https://lnkd.in/gxXBTnvx
