Common Accident Causes

80 out of 100 accidents are the fault of the person involved in the incident. In most industries, people tend to look for things to blame when an accident happens because it is easier than looking for root causes. Consider the list below and ask yourself if you have been guilty of any of the attitudes or behaviors.
Taking Shortcuts: Every day we make decisions that we hope will make our job faster and more efficient. Do these time savers ever risk your own safety or others? Shortcuts that reduce safety on the job are not shortcuts, they’re an increased chance of injury. Being Overconfident: Being confident is a good thing, but Overconfidence is too much of a good thing. The "It’ll never happen to me" attitude is what can lead to improper procedures, tools, or methods of the job. Any of these can lead to injury. Starting a Task with Incomplete Instructions: To do the job safely and right the first time, you need to complete information. Don’t be shy about asking for explanations about work procedures and safety precautions. It’s not dumb to ask, it’s dumb not to. Poor Housekeeping: When customers, managers, or safety professionals walk through the worksite, good housekeeping is an accurate indicator of everyone's attitude about quality, production, and safety. Poor housekeeping creates hazards of all types. A well-maintained work area sets the standard for others to follow and involves both pride and safety Ignoring Safety Procedures: Purposely failing to observe safety procedures can endanger you and your co-workers. You are being paid to follow a company's safety policy - not to make your own rules. Even if you are your own boss, you should not compromise your own safety. Being casual about safety can lead to a casualty. Mental Distractions from Work: Having a bad day at home and worrying about it during work is a hazardous combination. Dropping your mental guard can pull your focus from safe work procedures. Don’t become a statistic because you took your eyes off what you were doing just for a minute. Failure to Pre-Plan the Work: Let’s talk about Job Hazard Analysis. This is an effective way to work safely and effectively. Being hasty when starting a task, or not thinking the process through can put you in harm's way. Instead, plan your work and then work your plan. It’s better to be careful 100 times than getting seriously injured or killed once.