Are Accidents Always Unplanned?
Of course, accidents are unforeseen, unplanned, and unintentional events. However, some accidents happen only after risks have been ignored or tolerated for weeks, months, or even years. In such instances, there is an intentional decision to accept the risk.
Technically, it's not accurate to say that an accident is always unplanned. This is because if the safety management system is flawlessly designed to yield specific results, managers can establish policies, processes, procedures, and practices that almost ensure accidents will occur, especially under challenging conditions. In such scenarios, safety might not be the top priority anymore.
For instance, when a work crew is behind schedule, they may face pressure from management to hurry and take unsafe shortcuts to meet deadlines. Rushing to get work done is one of the primary reasons accidents happen.
Companies that decide to take the risk, likely have an opinion that "accidents just happen; there's nothing we can do about them." Of course, that's an unacceptable idea in an effective safety culture. Employers who value safety consider accidents to be "inexcusable," and insist that hazards be corrected before they cause an accident.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-3. Companies who value safety consider accidents _____.
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