Workplace safety is a priority for most businesses. However, ensuring that hazard reporting is carried out effectively is often easier said than done. Busy schedules, changing equipment and unclear rules to follow can all lead to workplace accidents, regulatory violations and even damage to the company’s reputation. 

It’s therefore essential that both employees and employers are aware of common mistakes when it comes to reporting hazards in the workplace and how they can be avoided. 

In this article, we’ll explore the most common mistakes made in hazard reporting and provide easy and practical solutions to improve the process. Not only will this help to reduce the likelihood of accidents happening, but it will also help save time and create a better workplace safety environment.

10 Common Hazard Reporting Mistakes to Avoid

#1. Using Vague Documentation

One of the most common hazard reporting mistakes is using unclear or vague documentation. Difficult-to-use booklets or complicated forms hardly encourage employees to fill them out and, if there’s no clear structure, they can easily lead to mistakes which can lead to accidents. 

Clear documentation, such as UniPrint’s Take 5 Safety Books, helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to hazard reporting and identification. Companies can even customise safety books with colours, logos, meeting points, and phone numbers to make them more relevant to employees. This makes them even clearer so employees are motivated to fill them out and take hazard reporting seriously.

#2. Setting The Reporting Threshold Too High

It’s really important that companies set the reporting threshold at the ideal level so that hazards, near misses and accidents, are all reported. When reporting thresholds are too high, hazards are often missed which means they can lead to accidents or incidents. Furthermore, patterns and trends are easier to identify when thresholds are lower, meaning employers can adjust hazard reporting protocols according to newer data.

#3. Hazards Are Unclassified and Unprioritised 

Not all risks or incidents are as urgent as each other. Some need to be prioritised in order to avoid major accidents from happening and these must be clearly marked for efficient hazard reporting. Again, customized printable solutions are one of the best ways for companies to select their own priority system that makes sense for their workplace and employees.

#4. Lack of Measurement for Incident Management

Incident management should be an ever-evolving and flexible process. Managers need to measure the effectiveness of their system so they know where to make the necessary improvements. Hazard report books help employees to notice, identify, report and rectify hazardous situations so their system can improve.

#5. Outdated Safety Solutions

Whether safety books or hazard report cards, all safety solutions need to be up-to-date to make them relevant and effective. This helps to show employees that management takes their safety and welfare seriously and that creating a good workplace safety culture is important. 

#6. Inadequate Training

It’s not enough to simply supply workers with safety solutions, they need to know how to use them in the best way. Management should provide in-depth training that focuses on encouraging workers to fill out relevant hazard reporting documents so that it’s a quick and easy part of their daily schedule.

Workers can also complete UniPrint’s free online Take 5 training which will show them how to best use safety books and risk assessments and managers will receive a certificate upon completion. 

#7. Employees Feeling Hesitant to Report Hazards

In some instances, employees feel unconfident reporting hazards, fearing retaliation or that their concerns won’t be taken seriously. This can lead to hazards being ignored, which can cause accidents.

It’s really important that managers and employers foster an open and encouraging reporting culture in which employees feel supported. Sufficient training for managers as well as taking reports seriously can help to achieve this.

#8. Lack of Multilingual Options

There’s no denying the importance of incident reporting but it needs to be accessible to all in the company. A great way to make hazard reporting more effective is by providing safety solutions in multiple languages. 

At UniPrint, we offer Take 5 safety books and hazard report cards in several languages including French, Spanish, Arabic, Thai and Mandarin. Employees are able to fill them out effectively in a language they feel confident in.

#9. Looking for Blame, Not Solutions

It’s often easiest to look for someone to blame when an incident occurs, rather than investigate the cause. In these moments, processes must be evaluated and developed to ensure mistakes aren’t overlooked in the future and that the possibility of accidents happening is minimised. When there’s a culture of blame, employees are less likely to speak up when it comes to safety issues, which can exacerbate the problem.

#10. Not Reporting Hazards Immediately

When there’s a good hazard reporting system in place, employees will be aware of the importance of reporting hazards immediately. Delaying hazard reporting can easily lead to accidents and unsafe conditions that could have been avoided. It’s one of the simplest hazard reporting mistakes to rectify, especially when companies take health and safety seriously and encourage a workplace safety culture. 

Avoiding Hazard Reporting Mistakes – Final Words

The most important things to consider when it comes to workplace health and safety are using clear, easy-to-fill-out safety solutions, fostering a good workplace safety culture that encourages reporting and using systems that adapt as the company changes and grows. Ensuring these are in place will minimise hazard reporting mistakes and the likelihood of accidents happening.

Get in touch with the team at UniPrint if you’d like to know more about our customisable safety solutions and how they can make all the difference to your workplace safety culture.