Who should be responsible for reporting workplace hazards?
In order to ensure a safe and healthy workplace, organizations rely on their employees to report safety concerns. While hazard reporting is critical for discovering and addressing risks, many employees avoid it. The following are some reasons why workplace hazards go unreported:
Employees lack the time.
It can be easy to be distracted by daily work and not take the time to fulfil extra responsibilities. However, if they notice a hazard, they must understand it’s their responsibility to notify their supervisor to ensure the safety of all workers.
Employees don’t know how to report the hazard.
Sometimes employees may notice a safety issue, but don’t report it because they don’t know how. In these instances, it’s important they know to ask their supervisor to teach them the hazard reporting process.
Employees are concerned about getting in trouble.
If a concern is the result of negligence, employees may worry about repercussions for identifying an issue. However, hazard reporting isn’t about discipline, but rather prevention and correction. Employees should feel empowered to speak with their supervisors about workplace issues without worrying about getting in trouble.
When it comes to hazard reporting, employees should be proactive instead of waiting for an inspection to take place.
The Flanders Group has resources to help your organization train employees why reporting workplace concerns and near misses is so important. Perhaps they don’t recognize hazards as a warning that needs attention so we’re here to help you raise the urgency. Call us at 800-462-6435 and let’s talk about your current situation.