Before disciplining a worker for an “error” or “mistake” that led to undesired consequences, we need to ask ourselves one simple question…
How often have we written 2022 when signing checks and documents this year?
It is February 15th, 46 days into the new year, yet I just had to correct a document that I signed and dated 2022.
Should I be disciplined for this “slip”? No consequences occurred, as the lawyer and I caught my error. She jokingly said… I have gotten really good at catching this mistake – meaning she often sees it around this time each year. ?
Remember to use discipline in safety properly, we must discipline for the act – NOT the results of the act. So with this in mind, do we discipline employees for making Slips, Lapses, and Mistakes?
We ALL make Slips, Lapses, and Mistakes daily – in fact, research has repeatedly shown that humans make around 4-6 Slips, Lapses, and Mistakes per hour. We are lucky that these Slips, Lapses, and Mistakes result in minor consequences (e.g., inconveniences) that can be easily recognized and corrected.
It is unfair to hold workers to a higher standard simply because we have placed them in a far less forgiving environment!
We set the standards and expectations of safety performance, and this means that we MUST identify these opportunities for Slips, Lapses, and Mistakes and DESIGN our work tasks to LIMIT the opportunities for these Slips, Lapses, and Mistakes AND to build in safeguards for when they do occur such that we can FAIL SAFELY.
Sound difficult? It is, but this simple reality is why true safety requires EDUCATED and TRAINED safety professionals. It’s not something “anyone can do.”