03/03/21
Dave Darnley, Jennifer Campbell
Are the same employees getting hurt again and again? Why does it seem that 20% of employees account for 80% of workplace injuries? Are they careless, or not paying attention? Maybe it's the job; is it too difficult? Are supervisors doing their jobs? The idea of “accident repeaters” has long been an issue in the world of safety. Accident Repeater programs have even been created to help determine why someone keeps having accidents – as if it's a choice, or they're doing it intentionally. Since intentional injury is rare, the root causes will likely be found elsewhere.
Accident repeater programs focus primarily on employee behavior. Typically, this means putting a person in front of a group of their superiors and peers who ask questions to determine the cause of the incident and initiate corrective action. This process can easily include the underlying premise of “what did you do wrong this time?” or “are you trying to get out of work?” or “this wouldn't have happened if you followed the rules.”