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How to Pinpoint Employees Who Might Pose a Safety Risk

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9/24/2018

safety risk assessment construction
Every day, employees everywhere go to work with the hope they will make it through the day without any trouble or peril. Generally speaking, most employees place safety as their highest priority. Unfortunately, some do not. Have you found an uptick in accidents recently in your business? Are you looking to identify those that are more prone to be a safety risk?

Here is a comprehensive guide on how to pinpoint employees that may in fact place their colleagues in danger more than others.

  • Look For Complacency – As has been stated previously, complacency breeds an environment for safety exposures to rise. Often this is a direct result of a lack of incidents in recent or experienced workers simply having a system down to complete their assignments efficiently and effectively. When you find your employees steering clear of incidents, they should be rewarded. At the same token, it is also essential to ensure they remain up to speed on policy and continue to practice the same behaviors that got them a prolonged period of security and welfare.
  • Establish Accountability – The two most prominent forms of preparation employees can take to mitigate hazards and risks in the workplace is root cause analysis and risk mapping. Establishing accountability feeds directly into this process. By establishing accountability, staff and personnel are more able to interface with external leadership to convey potential causes of accidents and isolate vulnerabilities as they emerge. Finding staff and personnel that are more autonomous that tend to keep themselves are less likely to find accountability as an asset to daily operations. It is important to champion this element as it will also bolster the overall work culture and community.
  • Be Vigilant Toward Risk Takers – The most obvious candidate for being a direct safety hazard is the employee that is inclined to take reckless or overtly perilous risks. Whilst these individuals are often the rarest species of employee, they nonetheless become prevalent when deadlines are approaching or if they find the task at hand routine or dull. It goes without saying that almost all employees want to be punctual and ahead of schedule in meeting their objectives and goals. However, certain staff and personnel will take unnecessary risks to expedite project time frames to be ahead of expected finish or to ensure they complete the initiative on time. Be on the lookout for those who may have poor time management skills as they are a population prone towards this behavior.
  • Take Disciplinary Action If Need Be – In most cases, management and leadership staff do not want to rule with an iron fist. Progressive and affable relations is often the goal of most administrators. Maintaining such an attitude leads to more fluid communication and in turn a positive work environment overall. However, if after issuing warnings or taking measures to stop risky behavior an employee continues to engage in poor practices, one must take disciplinary action. The punishments can range from a loss of certain privileges all the way up to termination, if need be.

Article contributed by Tom Reddon. Tom is a forklift specialist and blog manager for the National Forklift Exchange. He also sits on the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) Executive Dialogue team. Follow him on Twitter at @TomReddon.

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