A workplace where hazards are rarely reported isn’t necessarily safe. When hazard and injury reports stop coming in, it doesn’t mean your safety program is working perfectly. Most often, it’s a sign that employees don’t feel safe speaking up. Many stay silent because they fear retaliation or think nobody will act on their concerns. And when risks go unaddressed, they eventually lead to injuries, downtime, fines, and sometimes death.
The cost of unreported hazards can be harsh. Unreported hazards are just waiting to turn into OSHA fines, equipment failures, lawsuits, injury, or death. For the company, that translates to financial ruin and reputational damage.
It’s impossible to eliminate all hazards, but you can build an environment where people feel supported enough to point them out.
Here’s how to do it.
Provide ongoing safety training
When employees are put through ongoing training programs, it tells them that leadership isn’t just checking off boxes to pass an OSHA inspection and the company actually cares about their safety. This sense of commitment makes workers more likely to report hazards because they believe the company will act on them. When a company’s culture is built around safety, more hazards will be reported.
Safety skills can fade if they’re not used daily, and monthly or quarterly training sessions can help employees retain critical knowledge and skills needed to spot hazards and respond appropriately. For example, blind spots make forklifts one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment in the workplace. Operating a forklift becomes muscle memory after a while, and some operators may forget to check all their blind spots. Many forklift-related injuries can be prevented through regular training and refresher courses, including online forklift certifications that meet OSHA requirements.
Ongoing training keeps safety at the forefront of people’s minds and builds trust in the reporting process. It drives home the message that safety is everyone’s responsibility and the company wants to keep workers safe.
Require hazard reporting
A workplace with no reported safety hazards is a red flag for an unsafe reporting culture. Underreporting safety issues can lead to hazards becoming normal, which increases the risk of serious incidents. Research from the Saskatchewan Research Council notes that workers don’t report hazards because they feel like it’s considered “spying” or “blaming” and a “waste of time.” It’s crucial to eradicate this way of thinking by making workers feel safe filing reports.
Employees need to know it’s okay to report hazards no matter how small they may seem. Once they understand the company is committed to safety, they’ll start reporting hazards. It even helps to publicly acknowledge workers for their contributions to safety. But you need to do more than just reassure employees that reporting is safe. You need to make reporting mandatory so that anyone who doesn’t report a hazard will face disciplinary action. It sounds harsh, but it’s the only way to prevent people from staying silent.
When reporting is part of a worker’s job, it stops rogue teammates from ridiculing them as if they made a choice they didn’t have to make. It also reinforces the company’s focus on safety. If not reporting a hazard can get a worker written up, the company must care about safety.
Break the “don’t cause extra work” mindset
In some workplaces, employees don’t like it when someone reports a hazard because it slows down their workflow. This is a dangerous frame of mind. The initial report might slow things down for a short time but fixing hazards early prevents bigger disruptions later.
Where reporting paperwork is concerned, you can cut down the time it takes to file a report by making your forms short and mobile-friendly. When employees no longer see hazard reporting as “making trouble,” they’ll start seeing it as a core part of their job.
Implement recognition programs
Employees love recognition but it’s not enough to motivate consistent hazard reporting. Skip the certificates and start offering tangible benefits like small bonuses, extra breaks, or gift cards. Allow team members to nominate each other for awards to create a shared sense of responsibility and teamwork.
Safety is worth initiating a culture overhaul
If you’re worried that focusing on safety will cause workers to quit, you’re probably right. Some employees will quit if they’re forced to follow hazard reporting protocols and stop cutting corners. And that’s a positive thing. When your company has a reputation for prioritizing safety, you’ll attract employees who also value safety. You’ll shift the dynamics of your entire team and end up with a better crew in the end.
