Approximately 15 people die each day from injuries or illnesses acquired at work. One of the leading contributors to this statistic is complacency.
Safety is an area where employees and leaders often become too complacent as routines form and standards decline. Supervisors might begin accepting a lower quality of work, and employees may continue finding shortcuts in their work.
When shortcuts become common, accidents happen. Sometimes accidents occur and are not reported at all, and events that almost end in an accident often go undocumented.
Employers should treat safety as part of their overall risk program and coverage; see Insurance and Safety in the Workplace.
Steps supervisors can take
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1. Get to know the employees individually.
Supervisors must make a point to become familiar with each employee, ask about their safety concerns, and clearly discuss company policies. When an employee states a safety concern, always follow up and take action so employees do not feel ignored.
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2. Make safety a main focus in management planning.
Bring safety issues into organizational and regular meetings and highlight concerns collected from employees. By discussing safety at every meeting, improvements are more likely to happen promptly, and leaders can show how ignoring issues harms the company.
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3. Review and analyze all safety reports regularly.
Review injury reports and near misses, and make it mandatory to record incidents that were almost accidents. After reading reports, meet with the people involved to check on injured employees and to confirm that those with near misses have made or requested changes to prevent a recurrence.
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4. Involve all employees in the safety process.
Reward efforts toward safety involvement and consider forming voluntary safety committees, with one for each department in larger workplaces. Encourage committee members to enforce rules, hold regular meetings, and consider positive incentives such as contests or bonuses for incident-free periods.
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5. Implement an efficient and anonymous reporting system.
Take tips seriously and protect the anonymity of employees who report safety concerns or rule violations. An anonymous system reduces fear of conflict, helps surface unsafe behavior, and builds trust across the workplace.
To avoid complacency and negligence, safety must become part of the workplace culture and be evident in everyday practices. Use seminars, real-life stories, videos, and visual examples to make risks tangible, and enforce a regular plan until safe behavior becomes the norm.
For additional guidance on building a sustained safety culture, see Creating a Safety Culture in Organizations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is workplace complacency?
Workplace complacency is when employees or leaders become too comfortable with routines and stop following or enforcing safety standards, which increases the risk of accidents.
Why should near-misses be reported?
Reporting near-misses helps identify hazards and corrective actions before an accident occurs, reducing future injuries and losses.
How can supervisors encourage reporting without creating conflict?
Supervisors can encourage reporting by listening to concerns, acting on them, protecting anonymity when requested, and rewarding proactive safety behavior.
Are anonymous reporting systems effective?
Yes; anonymous systems can increase reporting rates by reducing fear of retaliation and helping management learn about unsafe behaviors or conditions.