They aren't accidents they are injuries!!!

Like we have mentioned in previous articles we find workplace injuries to be extremely saddening.  But often times we do two things with regard to safety that send out the wrong message.

The first mistake that we make is we call our injuries, accidents.  Too often we say things like we had an accident at project WYZ.  Butch Mellom, our Safety director, doesn’t use the word accident.  We need to change our terminology and only use the word, injury.  Seldom are the injuries the results of an accident.  In nearly 100% of the cases we realize that we could have changed our behavior and avoid the injury.  By using the word injury we reinforce the point that a person was hurt or disabled.    I think we need to keep in mind the personal side of the equation.  Somebody got hurt and it was the result of our actions.  We can change our actions.

The second mistake that we make is we use statistic to describe how things are going with regard to safety.  Again the problem with this method is it implies that some level of injuries is OK.  That concerns me because I don’t want any individual to suffer an injury.  Thinking of the injuries as people rather than numbers helps us eliminate them.

Let me give you an example.  Which of the following two statements makes you want to make sure we have a safe workplace?

A.      In the year 2012 we will have only one recordable accident.

B.      The only recordable injury next year is going to be you losing a finger.

The first sentence might leave you thinking something along the lines of, while accidents happen but we had a good year.  If we think that way they injuries will continue to happen and odds are it is going to involve you soon or later. 

The second sentence should leave thinking, I like all my fingers (toes, my back, eyes, ears and don’t care to have any scares)!   If you are the one recordable injury you won’t be impressed with the statistic highlighted in sentence A.

If we all work with the idea that you aren’t going to get hurt while at work we can all consider ourselves blessed.   My goal for next year is that you have an injury free year.  It is a two-step process. 

1.       Stop thinking in terms of accidents and start thinking in terms of injuries.

2.       People aren’t statistics, stop thinking stats matter.

What do you think?  Do you want to go the entire year injury free?