No workplace will be free from hazards. However best may be an organization, still one can find something that can cause some damage, to persons/environment/property.
What are the reason(s)?
Nothing new. Everybody knows. Unknowingly or otherwise we are the reason.
We are preoccupied mentally or physically. Issues at home cause major distraction. Health, education, career, property matters, marriage etc of family members or self; traffic during commute, vehicle breakdown, etc make us to keep thinking even at workplace, thereby overlooking workplace issues.
At work, distractions / stress can be from superiors, peers, subordinates, unions, in addition to plant activities.
We feel like a football kicked by everyone, thereby not able to do a job without break.
We are human beings and these are unavailable.
It is easy to tell, don't bring domestic issues to work and don't carry office problems to home. May be, only very few can practice this. In majority of the cases, quite impossible.
Some other reasons for hazards are, not having knowledge, not having resources, procedural delays in tendering and placing orders, OR, ignorance and lethargy.
So, there will be hazards, not noticed, not attended for whatever reason, a few are listed above.
What to do?
Again, it is already known.
Have inspections, individually and with teams. Daily, weekly, monthly, ...
Develop reporting culture. Don't blame the person reporting the issues. Instead, encourage and thank them with a pat, appreciation in Shopfloor, during functions having huge gathering. It will motivate everyone. This way, atleast someone will identify issues. Then, action is to be taken for addressing both for correction and also on root causes.
Have checklists for each and every equipment, activity including general or common areas. Let it be communicated, displayed and followed. Let managers review implementation and present reports in management meetings.
Similarly for behaviors. There is no end to behavioral actions exhibited by persons. Training and supervision help for safe productivity.
Some other actions are, review of design, layout, process inputs and outputs, parameters; change modification procedures, emergency management, employee orientation, training and retraining.
Both O&M and safety personnel shall review and monitor.
Keep an eye on what is happening in other organizations, take lessons and implement.
Keep in touch with vendors to know what is latest and is useful to improve safety and productivity.
Nobody in the management sanctions only production or only safety.
There should not be any damage to property or persons or environment.
Production with safety is the need. Definitely safe work place leads to better production.
This should be conveyed to everyone in Shopfloor meetings with data. Better to use organization data. If not available, use data from others.
We can’t escape law. This awareness too needs understanding by everyone.
Involve workmen (regular and outsourced) in all activities. They provide best inputs and they are the ones executing. If they understood and followed, managers can concentrate on growth of organization.