In construction, it’s essential to scope out the foundation before you build. The last thing you want to do is erect your building on top of a former toxic waste dump. Injury prevention programs should be built with the same principles in mind. Unfortunately, many companies build their injury prevention programs without evaluating the foundation. As a result, they build the program on a foundation of “toxic” attitudes that dooms the program from the start.

10 Common Obstacles to Process Success

Companies that are struggling with their injury prevention process and not getting the best “bang for their buck” often have some or all of the following “attitude influencers” occurring in their organization.

1. A Lack of Commitment. Is this another “program of the month” or will it be around for the “long haul”?
2. Limited Communication. Are people walking around saying, “nobody asked my opinion” or “whose idea was this”? A lack of communication is a main reason that injury prevention processes fail. Does everyone who’s being impacted by the process understand what’s going on? Do they have the ability to communicate information “into” the process as well as receive information from it?
3. A Lack of Consistency. Is the injury prevention process important only when things are slow? Is it treated like an addendum to productivity and quality? Are messages about quality and productivity communicated constantly while messages about safety and injury prevention are communicated “on occasion” or only following an accident or injury?
4. Unclear Expectations. Are there clear guidelines as to who’s responsible for process success, and has process “success” been clearly defined? When employees are presented with information in the classroom do they leave the classroom with clear expectations of how to act on this information?
5. No Flexibility in Program Design/Progression. Will the injury prevention process be hung out to dry when obstacles are encountered? If no one’s participating, will the lack of participation be addressed or will the program be abandoned?
6. A Lack of Inclusion. Were key people excluded in the development and implementation process and how does the company determine who the key people are?
7. A Lack of Recognition. Are participants acknowledged for their contributions to the process in an equitable and consistent fashion or do people only get recognized and acknowledged if they do something wrong or get injured?
8. A Lack of Respect. Is the company taking into account how difficult it is for people to change? Does the process acknowledge resistance to change and implement things in a way that eases the discomfort?
9. A Lack of Creativity. Is the company willing to explore new ways of implementing the process. Sometimes this means re-evaluating old ideas and inviting people to think “outside the box.”
10. A Lack of Fun. Does this process invigorate people and invite their participation or does it suck energy out of everyone involved and create the “I can’t wait till this is over” attitude?

To Effect Change, You Must Improve Attitudes

Ideally, everyone would have all the equipment or help they need to make life easier. The point is that regardless of the kind of work environment a person has, they’re going to be making choices that impact the effectiveness of injury prevention efforts. The question is not whether or not injury prevention works; the question is whether or not it’s possible to get the full benefits of an injury prevention process if the employees do not embrace change.

Consider this: Thousands of people have exercise equipment in their homes that serve as towel racks. Why? Because they bought the equipment before they changed their attitude towards exercise. People who have a positive attitude about exercise will find a way to exercise even if equipment isn’t available. People who have a positive attitude about safety will try to find the safest ways to perform a job even in a difficult situation. When assistive devices or training is introduced to this group, they’re more inclined to take advantage of it because it helps them accomplish what’s already important to them: working safely.

Conclusion

Injury prevention, in part, is about working efficiently. How efficient is it to introduce tools and training to people who have a negative attitude about safety and are not inclined to take advantage of the equipment or information that is provided to them? Next week, we’ll look at how to use those 10 attitude influences as energy sources that can strengthen each step of your injury prevention process.

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