

Next, you want to have the employee start to recognize that the at-risk behavior could have severe consequences. At this point, you want to help the employee understand the potential consequences involving their actions and the impact they could have on things they value most (e.g., family, friends, hobbies, health, income). Share your observation with them and let them know that you are concerned. Simply ask to speak to them for a moment. Once you have identified someone at risk, the next step is to gain the employee’s attention without startling them or putting either of you in harm’s way. When making contact with an employee, it’s always a best practice to do so respectfully and one-on-one, away from other employees. Making contact is intended to express care and concern for an individual’s well-being. Finally, make a connection between the possible outcomes and subsequent impact upon those things most important to the employee.

Make sure to identify all types of injuries or illnesses that could result from the at-risk behavior. Once the at-risk behavior has been identified, then you should determine the sort of incident that could occur. Some examples might be an employee not holding the handrails, an employee not wearing fall protection in an elevated position, or an employee riding on the counterweight of a forklift. Employees should observe and recognize behaviors that involve unnecessary risks as well as actions that could be improved upon. The first step of any successful safety observation is to identify at-risk behaviors. They occur most often subconsciously or while working on “autopilot.” Employees take chances when they don’t fully understand the risks involved or when they feel there’s a significant benefit to be gained from taking the risk. The process of having your employees learn how to both identify at-risk behaviors and how to communicate with the person who is at risk is called a safety observation.ĥ Keys to Completing Successful Safety Observations In The Workplace A safety observation is an engaging activity that allows employees to take ownership of the well-being of both themselves and their peers.Īt-risk behaviors are the leading cause of injuries in the workplace. Safety observations in the workplace help employees learn to identify both unsafe acts and conditions in the workplace or job site.
