Natural Consequences
Effective safety education teaches employees and organizations that they are naturally rewarded or punished for their behaviors. In other words, they 'do it to themselves.'
Have you ever suffered the natural consequences of touching a cactus? Ouch!
Natural consequences are unavoidable and happen automatically. They include outcomes like injury, damage to equipment, and either high or low morale. The scope of natural consequences may occur on two levels: individual and organizational.
Consequences of Individual Behaviors
Examples include:
- Bob experiences a painful injury when he accidentally hits his thumb with a hammer.
- An employee avoids injury by following safety procedures.
- A muscle strain occurs due to improper lifting techniques.
Consequences of Organizational Behaviors
Examples include:
- Improved employee morale and productivity when leadership is effective.
- An increased accident rate caused by insufficient supervision.
- Higher levels of stress due to unreasonable workloads.
Gary, a previous student wrote, "I stress to my co-workers that a life jacket is mandatory on deck. We hired a young guy who was a swimmer in college. He thought his swimming skills were such that he did not need the jacket. We educated him on hypothermia and that he could not save himself if he fell over in 35 degree water. Once he understood the facts, he wore the jacket at all times, because
he wanted to, not because he had to."
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-5. Physical injury, illness, damage to equipment, and low employee morale are all examples of _____.
You forgot to answer the question!