By Scott Merilatt

Workplace injuries occur in all kinds of industries — and for several decades, the goal of many companies has been to create a zero-injury workplace. While a complete absence of injuries is the obvious desire of every organization, the focus on “zero” has many unintended consequences for both workers and employers.

Companies have long offered incentives for workers to maintain an injury-free workplace. The concept itself has become ingrained in popular culture — think of a resigned manager sighing deeply as he emerges from dust and rubble to erase the “99” under the “Number of Days Since an Accident” board and replace it with a sad zero. It’s a humorous image, but it represents a way of thinking about safety that is quickly going out of style in actual workplaces.

Instead of pushing an injury-free workplace, many organizations are shifting emphasis toward specific and actionable safe workplace behaviors and practices. By learning from mistakes (instead of suppressing them) and working hard to maintain safer work habits, companies hope to encourage workers with a positive learning environment. So why are we seeing this new approach? What’s so wrong with a zero-injury goal?

Close Calls: Learning, Not Suppressing
Supporters of this shift away from “zero” point to the industry’s rampant underreporting of injuries and close calls. The OSHA shares this concern, and has warned against seemingly harmless incentive programs that reward workers for maintaining zero accidents. The logic is sound: if a worker’s accident or close call forfeits his or her team’s bonus or other incentive, is it a surprise that the worker may avoid mentioning the incident?

When close calls and accidents happen, they should be viewed as a learning experience so problems can be corrected and the appropriate changes can be incorporated into the work environment. If workers notice an effective approach that reduces risks and continues to provide the much-needed productivity, it should be noted for supervisory staff.

It is essential to work toward coming up with a plan that reduces the risks to all employees. Realistically, the goal to reduce workplace injuries cannot become a reality without workers regularly practicing safer workplace behaviors. Take away the “zero incentive” and encourage the reporting of close calls. By observing these scenarios, workers can learn to recognize the safest approach when performing their job duties or handling various projects.

Tracking the Movement Away from Zero-Injury Goals
It’s difficult to visualize the shift away from “zero” in the safety industry, but looking at the sales of promotional workplace products provides at least one meaningful data point. “Zero Injuries” was once the most popular safety slogan for banners, posters, and other promotional products, but there’s been a noticeable decline in recent years according to sales numbers provided by Positive Promotions, a promotional products company.

Over the past three years, Positive Promotions has seen a dramatic shift in the sales of zero-injury banners, which are now outsold by more informational and behavioral banners at a pace of three to one. The company no longer carries zero-injury lunch bags, shirts, and other products due to shrinking demand.

While declining sales of zero-injury banners many not necessarily signal a broad strategic shift in the occupational safety industry, a movement away from “zero” does appear to be in progress. One driving factor may be the OSHA’s push against zero-injury incentive programs — a campaign that may be driving organizations to instead purchase banners and posters that emphasize positive reinforcement.

Creating a Positive Learning Environment
The end benefit for organizations is realized when the focus is placed on the means to the end rather than the end goal itself. Encourage workers to exhibit safe behaviors, report close calls, and build a culture of shared learning and teamwork. Instead of punishing an employee (or the entire team), take the opportunity to learn from close calls and mistakes. The zero-injury workplace is not a realistic goal. It’s a safety strategy that lacks perspective and flexibility.

A worker’s values, attitudes, and actions are directly influenced by the language we use to market workplace safety. Focusing on “zero” drives anxiety and fear, leading to underreporting and a static, non-learning work environment. The shift away from this failed safety strategy is long overdue.

Scott Merilatt is a freelance writer and editor from Seattle, Washington. He specializes in a range of occupational health and safety topics.