We all have much to learn from the tunnel collapse in North India. Though the laborers were rescued after rigorous efforts, North India’s major tunnels had to undergo thorough safety audits. 

Now, who can provide the best reports on workplace safety observations?

Who better than the employees themselves?

If employees are given the freedom and accessibility to report safety observations, a zero-incident safety culture is achievable.

Safety observations are the first proactive step towards incorporating a safety culture. Safety observations help to;

• Mitigate risks
• Incorporate safety culture
• Identify potential hazards
• Have a proactive safety approach 

The Purpose of Safety Observations

Safety observation processes are a mere amalgamation of monitoring, assessing, and identifying potential hazards, unsafe behaviors, and conditions within a workplace.

The vital portions of safety observations are;

1. Hazard Identification

This includes recognizing physical hazards, unsafe practices, and environmental factors.

2. Risk Mitigation

It means implementing corrective measures, such as modifying procedures, providing additional training, or introducing safety equipment.

3. Behavioral Improvement

Providing feedback and reinforcement aims to influence employee behavior, encouraging positive practices.

4. Continuous Improvement

Organizations can continuously refine their safety protocols by regularly assessing and addressing safety concerns, enhancing overall safety performance.

5. Promoting a Safety Mindset

Safety Observations also means creating awareness and fostering a sense of responsibility for one’s safety and the safety of others.

So, how do you incorporate a proactive safety culture through safety observations?

Here is a step-by-step guide that will lay the foundation for the right way for safety observations.

Effective Safety Observations: A Step-by-Step Guide

Safety Observations are more than just observing the hurdles to safety in our daily routines. To make these safety observations a part of our proactive measures, some necessary measures must be taken.

1. Preparing for Safety Observations

The first step is to identify the scope and focus of safety observations. You need to prioritize areas with higher risk factors or those that have had past incidents. Thoroughly analyze the tasks and the activities to be observed. This must be a comprehensive assessment. 

Then, encourage employees to observe as per weekly, monthly, and yearly requirements. Management must portray a collaborative effort to encourage employees to make safety observations. Ensure you have all the abilities for cross-functional sharing of insights and observations. Also, ensure observers have the necessary resources, such as checklists or technology, to conduct safety observations.

Your safety observations must align with the required regulations and policies. You must also regularly review and update policies to incorporate observations as a proactive safety measure. All employees must strictly document safety observations.

These initial safety observation preparations must go through the employee feedback. Encourage them to ask for changes, resources, and required technology in the initial stages to lay the groundwork for compelling safety observations.

2. Selecting the Right Tools and Methods

Safety observations are an amalgamation of scheduled and unscheduled processes. Both are equally essential for providing a balanced view of all the observations. Scheduled observations offer a structured approach, ensure coverage of critical tasks, and allow employees to prepare for observations. And unscheduled observations capture behaviors and conditions as they naturally occur, offering a more accurate snapshot of workplace safety.

Another crucial aspect of safety observations is checklists. Checklists ensure;

• Systematic evaluation during observations.
• Consistency and a standardized approach.
• Changing workplace conditions or safety priorities.

It is better to shift from age-old methods to new-age tools for systematic evaluation. For example, safety observation software enhances the accuracy of observations. Additionally, it allows real/near-time data collection for proactive measures and immediate feedback. Thus, if you incorporate a balance of tools and human judgment, you get the best of both worlds.

When you incorporate tools, techniques, and processes for safety observation, you must keep your workplace dynamics in mind. Remember, one size or single solution is not meant for all. Your safety observations require customizations depending on your facilities, the sector you serve, organization size, industry-specific regulations and safety standards, and more. Therefore, be sure to utilize methods, tools, and technology that well-align with the specific characteristics of your workplace and industry.

3. Role of Observers

You have the essential preparations and tools for safety observations; now, what role do the observers play?

With proper training and tools, observers contribute largely towards enhancing workplace safety. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that observers understand the objectives and goals of safety observations. Also, the observation modes must be consistent and well-explained. This provides data collection and reporting uniformity, facilitating meaningful analysis and action.

There are some critical skills that observers must stick to. These are;

1. Attention to detail
2. Effective communication skills
3. Unbiased observations
4. Proactive problem-solving approach
5. Empathy
6. Flexibility

For observers to have the above skills, it is the management’s role to have structured and consistent training programs. You can incorporate technology to provide real scenarios for improved training. 

4. The Execution Stage

The most important action of safety observation is to be physically present and engaged in the work environment. It is also essential to ensure that observations do not disrupt critical or sensitive tasks.

The tools used during safety observations must enable immediate and detailed documentation. Detailed documentation ensures that corrective actions are targeted and effective. These detailed observations must be integrated with automated reporting systems so that everyone in the hierarchy can access the observations and interactions.

5. Identifying Hazards

During safety observations, the common workplace safety hazards that need to be identified are;

• Physical hazards (dangers related to machinery, equipment, or physical structures)
• Chemical hazards (hazardous substances and their potential risks)
• Biological hazards (risks related to exposure to bacteria, viruses, or other biological agents)
• Ergonomic hazards (factors affecting the physical well-being of employees)
• Environmental Hazards (risks associated with the physical and nearby environment)

Once the hazards are identified, they must be categorized according to likelihood, severity, frequency, duration, etc. Post-categorization safety managers and decision-makers can develop targeted and proactive strategies to mitigate risks.

6. Post-Observation Processes

Now, we have observed, measured, and categorized safety observations. What next?

The first step is communicating the safety observations and findings with the employees. After that, employees must be encouraged to share their perspectives about the findings. 

If you incorporate analytics tools, it can tell you, based on the data, about the trends and patterns that are emerging in your safety observations. Then, based on this analysis, you can identify the root cause of repeated or new observations for informed decision-making. 

Once you identify the hazards, plan corrective actions. These actions must be communicated to the employees, and training must begin immediately. 

Post that, monitor progress crucially to ensure sustained improvement.

Conclusion

The above steps ensure that safety observations have a proactive approach towards safety processes. However, you may notice skepticism from employees; for that, safety managers must encourage employees to incorporate safety acts into the culture. 

This cultural transformation is a strong foundation for proactive safety practices in the workplace. By embracing effective safety observations as a core element of this journey, organizations can create a safe work environment through commitment, engagement, and continuous improvement to actively contribute to the organization’s well-being!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the primary goal of safety observations?

The primary goal of safety observations is to proactively identify and address potential hazards, unsafe behaviors, and conditions in the workplace to prevent accidents and injuries.

2. Who should conduct safety observations?

Safety observations can be conducted by safety professionals, supervisors, or even frontline employees.

3. What are some common workplace hazards to look out for during safety observations?

The common workplace safety hazards are;

1. Physical hazards 
2. Chemical hazards
3. Biological hazards
4. Ergonomic hazards
5. Environmental Hazards