Protect yourself from the safety pyramid
As an efficient executive, you aim for satisfied employees and a strong business reputation. However, workplace injuries can disrupt this, impacting team morale and your brand’s image. Employees and outsiders may claim, “They should have seen it coming,” and the safety pyramid model supports this idea. For every severe injury, there are 10 major incidents; 30 minor incidents; 300 near misses; and 300,000 unsafe acts. High numbers at the pyramid’s base indicate a higher risk for employees.
What is the safety pyramid, you ask? The safety pyramid is a visual representation of workplace safety, depicting the relationship between incidents, accidents, and near misses. It may also be referred to as Heinrich’s triangle, Bird’s triangle, or the accident triangle. The pyramid shape shows frequent incidents at the base and severe ones at the top, indicating that major accidents are preceded by numerous minor incidents and near misses. The safety pyramid highlights the importance of identifying and addressing near misses and minor incidents to prevent severe accidents from happening.
Fortunately, it’s not too late to reduce risk and prevent major accidents. We can guide you through risk management strategies and provide tools to decrease incidents across the safety pyramid.
Behavior-based safety
Are employees responsible for workplace accidents? The behavior-based safety (BBS) theory suggests so. The BBS theory argues that most injuries stem from employee behavior, prompting managers to develop programs incentivizing safe actions. These programs may include safety-focused performance reviews, bonus pay, and rewards for reporting colleagues’ risky behavior.
BBS has a track record of success, as cautious individuals are less prone to major injuries. However, it’s not without shortcomings. BBS may deter workers from reporting minor injuries or near misses due to fear of blame. Additionally, in industries with high turnover, employees still learning safety protocols may struggle to engage fully in incident reporting and infraction systems.
Engineered safety solutions
What if protecting workers from injury meant shielding them from their own actions? The engineered solutions approach continuously redesigns facilities and workflows to maximize safety. Its strength lies in minimizing risk, requiring extraordinary actions for employees to endanger themselves. However, controlling human behavior remains impossible, and some workers may still end up in precarious situations.
Superior risk management
Which risk management system is superior: one focused on human behavior or one centered on structures and workflows? Both approaches have their merits. EHS Hero’s software, for instance, combines the best aspects of each model.
Feel free to reach out and discuss your safety management requirements. We’ll share how our solution can help you monitor both employee behavior and workspace elements, empowering you to be a proactive safety leader rather than a manager caught off guard by disaster.
