Reducing Repeat Workplace Incidents in Asia Pacific

Achieving zero injuries and fatalities in the workplace requires understanding of why an organisation continues to experience incidents, particularly those with similar causes and consequences.

Growing economic development coupled with cultural and social factors, are challenges for organisations in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region as they look to reduce workplace incidents. The International Labour Organization reports the APAC region accounts for nearly 63% of global work-related deaths.¹

Many remain reactive in their efforts to identify hazards and manage incidents, but they may be focusing too narrowly on lagging indicators that measure safety influence on incidents after they happen. Better to focus on leading indicators that allow organisations to predict and anticipate by analysing behaviours and daily activities along with past incidents and near misses to determine the factors preceding an event.

A company can use leading indicator data, apply analytics, and create strategies to recognise conditions that lead to incidents, then take proactive measures to minimise or eliminate risks and prevent serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs). Some examples of health and safety leading indicator data-gathering sources would include:

• Workload and fatigue monitoring
• Hazard and incident reporting
• Near-miss reporting
• Safety inspections and audits
• Corrective action implementation
• Safety culture surveys and assessments
• Equipment maintenance and checks
• Job safety/hazard analysis

More investment and time spent focused on identifying and analysing leading indicators are key to learning from previous events and preventing repeat incidents.

Safety experts agree that encouraging and supporting worker engagement and ownership of safety practices and performance is crucial for developing strong corporate and safety cultures and improving worker safety. While there are many intangible elements that contribute to a robust culture of safety, modern software, and technology support efforts to (encourage the ownership necessary for improved safety cultures and corporate environmental, health, and safety EHS) performance.

Examples of these include:

• Safety management systems
• Mobile apps for incident and hazard reporting
• Digital training programs
• Collaborative communication platforms
• Continuous monitoring and feedback systems
• Automated response systems
• Wearable monitors and other Internet of Things (IoT) sensors

Certain regional factors, however, present unique challenges for APAC companies as they look to introduce and manage comprehensive safety strategies. These include:

• A higher prevalence of an informal economy across Asia with more than 68% of workers working within that economy.²
• Cultural factors that often discourage workers and results in underreporting of safety incidents or concerns, making it difficult to identify and address hazards.
• Language barriers that make it difficult to communicate safety information effectively and ensure that all workers understand the risks and prevention measures.

Exploring new strategies

Organisations should also consider new and better ways of thinking about safety and health. While much of the innovation and strategy implemented in occupational safety and health significantly reduced injury and fatality rates, new strategies should be explored and adopted to move the dial even further towards getting even closer to zero incidents. For example:

• Cognitive ergonomics are intended to enhance worker cognitive functions and improve overall performance through better working conditions, work processes, and environments that reduce worker mental fatigue, enhance decision-making, and promote mental well-being.
• Human-centered design sees workspaces, equipment, and safety protocols developed based on user requirements and behaviours. Employees are encouraged to get involved in these design processes, so their preferences and workflows are considered, aligned with, and incorporated into safety measures.
• Behavioural-based safety looks to modify worker safety behaviour through positive incentives and reinforcement. Workers themselves participate and provide positive coaching to colleagues, highlighting unsafe actions, teaching safe behaviour, and focusing on how to improve safety outcomes.
• Prevention through design aims to reduce or eliminate workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities by “designing out” hazards in processes and practices, and reducing the potential for harm to workers, facilities, and equipment.
• Safety training gamification is a way to make workplace safety training and instruction a more enjoyable, meaningful, and engaging experience through activities such as interactive quizzes, challenges, and other games that teach safety practices, reinforce positive behaviour, and provide incentives and rewards for successful completion.
• Total worker health, as defined by the American Society of Safety Professionals, sees the introduction of policies, programs, and practices that integrate protection from work-related safety and health hazards coupled with promotion of injury and illness-prevention efforts to advance worker well-being. The intention is to create hazard-free workplaces that contribute to safer, healthier work.
• Visual literacy in the art world has now been extended to the workplace by teaching safety professionals how they can apply the fine-detail and precise observation techniques used to examine artwork to “see” and recognise hazards and risks in a work environment that could lead to incidents.
• Positive deviance is a quality improvement practice applied in a variety of settings. In the context of health and safety, it involves organisations identifying those who show exceptional performance and learning from them.

Learn a five-step process for continuous improvement in workplace safety performance by downloading the Enablon whitepaper How to Break the Cycle of Repeat Incidents.

¹ ‘A call for safer and healthier working environments’ by International Labour Organisation

² IMPROVING WORKPLACE WELLNESS IN ASIA: A BUSINESS CASE, APPROACHES, AND SUCCESSFUL PRACTICES

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About the writers:

Dan McLean
Content Marketing Manager at Wolters Kluwer Enablon

Dan McLean is a Content Marketing Manager for Wolters Kluwer Enablon, responsible for content strategy and execution. He has been an information technology editor and writer for more than 25 years and spent seven years as a research director for International Data Corporation. Dan has also directed content marketing teams for Rogers Communications and OpenText Corporation. He has written about the EHSQ industry for more than seven years.

Gwen Teo
Field Marketing Specialist at Wolters Kluwer Enablon

Gwen Teo is a Field Marketing Specialist for Wolters Kluwer Enablon, based in Singapore. She oversees the end-to-end of various projects, including events, webinars, and Account-Based Marketing (ABM) campaigns. Gwen also drives impactful and relevant campaigns focusing on ESG Excellence and EHS across the different verticals of Asia Pacific region.