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Is it really possible to have a workplace where no injuries occur? Emmitt Nelson, a pioneer of the zero-accident approach, believes so.

Nelson, who chaired the first Construction Industry Institute task force that researched contractors with few or no injuries, was featured in a recent article on the Safety Daily Advisor website.

The article presents the following checklist, developed by the Institute, of practices followed by “zero injury” organizations.

• The president/senior company management reviews safety reports.
• Top management is involved in injury/incident investigations.
• Management and supervision are evaluated on safety performance.
• Project safety representatives report directly to senior management.
• The company maintains a minimum of one safety representative for every 50 workers.
• Projects have site-specific safety plans.
• Before each task, a task safety analysis/pretask planning meeting is held with the foreman’s crew.
• Safety training is a line item in the project budget.
• Every worker on the project attends a standard orientation training session.
• Safety orientation is formal.
• Workers receive an average of at least 4 hours of safety training each month.
• Superintendents and project managers attend mandatory safety-training sessions.
• All levels of management and supervision receive training in behavior-based safety.
• A structured worker-to-worker safety observation program is in place.
• The company/project supports and maintains an effective, formal near-miss reporting process.
• Workers are encouraged to report near misses.
• Safety recognition/rewards are given to workers at least monthly.
• Family members are included in safety recognition dinners.
• Workers are evaluated on safety performance.
• Subcontractors are required to submit project-specific safety plans.
• Sanctions are imposed when subcontractors do not comply with safety requirements.
• Employee safety perception surveys are conducted.
• Off-site company personnel perform frequent audits.

I am confident that most safety professionals would concur that this extensive list has all the ingredients necessary to create an organizational culture where safety is ingrained in daily operations. However, we are once again overlooking the “why” of safety.

In W. Edwards Deming’s 14 points for management transformation to a sustainable organization (“Out of the Crisis,” 1982), he clearly cites the need to explain “why” to employees.

I keep wondering “why” we in safety keep failing to explain “why” safety should be important to each employee. Typically, everyone is asking, “What’s in it for me?”

Isn’t it about time that we address this fundamental issue?

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