Behind the

Mirror of Safety

Steve Danon
Director, Risk Control Services
Marcotte Insurance Agency
 “It ain’t what you
don’t know that’s a
problem…it’s what
you know that ain’t
so.”
“Our
Clients
- Will Rogers
Come
First”
 Biased By Our Past

Marcotte Risk Services

 Myth 1
“Safety is Zero
Accidents and
Injuries”
“Our
Clients
Come
First”
 Safety must go beyond
simply reducing injuries
•5 injuries this month

•2 injuries the next month

“Our
Is Your Safety
Clients Program Working ?
Come
First”
 While using past injury
data is helpful, it is
similar to steering your
car by using the rearview
mirror to navigate where
you are going.

The mirror gives a good view of

“Our where you’ve been, but provides
little assistance in steering toward
Clients
Come

new destinations.
First”
 “Safety is Zero
MYTH 1: Accidents & Injuries”
 Injury statistics represent the lack of safety

 A valid program should reflect what safety is not what it is

not.

Reality:
Accident & injury statistics
“Our
Clients measure the aftermath of
Come
First”
unsafe events.
 Myth 2
“Correcting
Unsafe
Conditions
Will Eliminate
“Our
Injuries”
Clients
Come
First”
 “Most injuries are the result of
people actions, not unsafe
conditions or equipment
failures.

People
People == 90%
90%
“Our
Clients
Come
Hazards
Hazards == 10%
10%
First”
 “Correcting Unsafe
Myth 2 Conditions Will
Eliminate Injuries”

Reality:
Most injuries result
“Our
from people actions.
Clients
Come
First”
 Myth 3
“If You Create
Enough Rules,
Policies &
Procedures,
People Won’t
“Our
Get Hurt”
Clients
Come
First”
 Mandates and regulations
simply fail to address
motivational factors that
affect compliance.

“Our
Clients
Come
First”
 “If You Create Enough Rules,
Myth 3 Policies & Procedures, People
Won’t Get Hurt”
 Safety rules only remind people what to do

 Enforcement efforts are still required to make even the

simplest safety rules work.

Reality:
Rules, policies and procedures
“Our
may encourage safe actions, but
Clients
Come
they are only as effective as the
First”
consequences they predict.
 Myth 4
100% Compliance = 100% Safe

“Our
Clients
Come
First”
 Logic says:
 If people are required to be safe most will
comply.

 The rest will conform if threatened.

Truth is:
 Safety procedures should be used as guidelines for
behavior.
“Our
Clients  Rules should be reserved for conduct that is vital
Come
First”
and strictly enforced.
 
Myth 4
Compliance should be
100% Compliance = 100% Safe

a job expectation

 Working under the

threat of penalties
people tend to conform
to the minimum
required standard

Reality:
“Our 100% compliance only achieves
Clients
Come a “minimum acceptable”
First”
standard of safety.
 Myth 5
“Observation
Audits Reliably
Indicate How
Safely Jobs Are
Being
Performed”
“Our
Clients
Come
First”
 Observation audits are usually
performed with the
employee’s consent, or
knowledge which corrupts
any data or conclusions
regarding the amount of
work being performed safely.
“Our
Clients
Come
First”
 “Observation Audits Reliably

Myth 5 Indicate How Safely Jobs

Are Being Performed”

 Audits only assess employee knowledge

and/or skill to work safely.

 They ignore motivational factors present under

normal work conditions
Reality:
“Our
Observation audits usually only
Clients
Come
reveal deficiencies in
First” employee knowledge or skill
 Myth 6
“Declining Injury Rates
Mean Safety Is
Improving”

“Our
Clients
Come
First”
 An array of variables
interact and combine to
yield injury statistics.
Measuring safety requires
knowing what safety is and
how often it is practiced.

“Our
Clients
Come
First”
 Declining Injury Rates Mean
Myth 6 Safety Is Improving
 Rates can be reduced by giving immediate negative attention
to “high” numbers or positive attention to “low” numbers.

 Injury rates simply say “who won or lost”, not how the game
was played.

Reality:
“Our
Declining injury rates means fewer
Clients
Come
people have been reported injured
First” (for whatever reason).
 Myth 7
“Stopping
Unsafe Acts
Causes Safe
Acts To Occur
“Our
More Often”
Clients
Come
First”
 Stopping unsafe acts is
only half the battle.

Desired behavior does

not automatically
occur instead.
“Our
Clients
Come
First”
 Myth 7 Stopping Unsafe Acts Causes Safe
Acts To Occur More Often

 Research shows that efforts designed solely to stop people

from taking some action produce negative side effects.

 People stopped from performing an unsafe act tend to do

only what is needed to “get-by”.

Reality:
“Our For safe acts to occur more
Clients
Come frequently, they must be actively
First”
acknowledged and recognized.
 Myth 8
“Disciplinary
Action and
Threats of
Discipline
Increase Safe
Behavior”
“Our
Clients
Come
First”
 Disciplinary action frequently
drives unsafe acts
underground, where they
continue unseen by
supervisors.

The likely response to discipline

is an increase in behavior
aimed at preventing
“inspection & detection”
“Our
Clients
Come
First”
 Myth 8
Disciplinary Action and Threats of
Discipline Increase Safe Behavior

 Sole reliance on disciplinary action to prompt compliance

can cause management to think safety is commonplace
and under control when, in fact, it is not.

 To be effective such action must be consistently applied

and enforced.

Reality:
Disciplinary actions temporarily stop
“Our
Clients
unsafe actions from being observed
Come
First”
while fostering resentment and
negative attitudes.
 Myth 9
“If Trained Properly,
People Will Work Safely”

“Our
Clients
Come
First”
 Training can only address
problems of knowledge or skill,
not motivation and behavior.

Accident investigations frequently

reveal that those who have been
injured possess the information
and skill needed to work safely.

“Our
Clients
Come
First”
 Myth 9 If Trained Properly, People
Will Work Safely

 Sole reliance on disciplinary action to prompt compliance

can cause management to think safety is commonplace
and under control when, in fact, it is not.

 To be effective such action must be consistently applied

and enforced.

Reality:
People are well-trained when they have all the
knowledge and skill required to work safely.
“Our
Clients
Come Training cannot change motivational factors
First”
associated with day-to-day work.
 Myth 10
“Safety Incentive
Programs
Reinforce Safe
Behaviors and
Attitudes”
“Our
Clients
Come
First”
 Because incentives are tied
to injury numbers instead of
behavior, they often
unintentionally pressure
people to avoid work or not
report injuries.
injuries
“Our
Clients
Come
First”
 Myth 10
Safety Incentive Programs
Reinforce Safe Behaviors and
Attitudes
 Most incentive programs cannot reinforce safe behaviors because their
rewards rarely depend on the occurrence of safe actions.

 Incentive programs usually reward periods of time free of recorded injuries

or incidents

 As long as employees avoid injuries, both their safe and unsafe behavior
are credited as acceptable.

Reality:
“Our Incentive programs commonly function
Clients
Come
as “giveaways” that are unrelated to
First”
increased safety.
 The steps to improve are simple, but
not easy to accomplish
1. Accept the fact that all work-related injuries are
preventable.

2. Adopt new measures that focus on safety instead

of the lack of safety.

3. Involve all employees.

4. Provide employees with the tools, skills and

“Our motivation to positively interact and support safety.
Clients
Come
First”
 Top 10 Safety Truths
1. Accidents and injury statistics measure the aftermath of
unsafe acts.

2. Most injuries result from people actions.

3. Rules and procedures may encourage safe actions, but are

only as effective as the consequences they predict.

4. 100% compliance only achieves a “minimum acceptable”

standard of safety.

“Our
5. Observation audits only reveal deficiencies in employee
Clients
knowledge or skill.
Come
First”
 Top 10 Safety Truths
6. Declining injury rates mean fewer people have been
reported injured.

7. For safe acts to occur more frequently, they must be

actively acknowledged and recognized.

8. Discipline temporarily stops unsafe acts from being

observed while fostering resentment and negative
attitudes.

9. People are well-trained when they have the knowledge and

skill required to work safely. Training cannot change
motivational factors associated with day-to-day work.
“Our
10. Incentive programs often function as “giveaways”
Clients
unrelated to increased safety.
Come
First”
 Safety
Success
Stairway

“Our
Clients
Come
First”
 Develop & Maintain An
Atmosphere of Safety
Safety
Education
& Training

Hazard Prevention
& Control

Worksite Analysis

“Our
Clients Management Commitment
Come
First”
& Employee Involvement
 Our Gift To You !!!

“Our
Clients
Come
First”
 Additional Info:

“Our
sdanon@marcotteins.com
Clients
Come
First”
You Get The Level Of Safety
That You
Demonstrate You Want!