The National Safety Council reports a single lost-time incident averages more than $40,000 in direct expenses, delays, rework or reduced productivity, according to For Construction Pros.
Construction leaders likely have heard various excuses for why accidents happen. But excuses do not help when someone has been injured.
For Construction Pros shares the following common excuses that also serve as warnings for potential injuries.
- “We’ve always done it this way.” Leaders may hear this when new safety procedures or techniques are introduced, but this response shows people prioritize the process rather than practical changes. You can respond by demonstrating the new technique and explaining the why; sharing data that shows the tangible benefits of the new technique; and striving to continuously improve with constant learning so new ideas do not seem so strange.
- “We didn’t have time.” This excuse is common when safety steps are skipped to meet deadlines. You can respond by ensuring safety planning, training and inspection are built into the schedule; never praising a crew for meeting a deadline by taking safety shortcuts; and celebrating when a project is completed on time with the proper safety precautions.
- “It was just a quick task.” This is common following an incident involving a shortcut—such as no personal protective equipment—and falsely equates short duration with lower risk. You can respond by sharing real stories about a quick task becoming a serious injury; enforcing safety rules consistently for every task; and making safety equipment readily available.
- “That’s not my job.” People use this excuse when they notice a hazard but do not act because they consider it “someone else’s responsibility.” You can respond by training everyone in basic risk identification so they realize safety is everyone’s responsibility; encouraging crews to look out for each other; and ensuring your employees are going to work on a well-managed job site.
- “I didn’t know.” This is a warning sign that training, communication or onboarding could use improvement. You can respond by ensuring every new hire receives the necessary safety information before working on a job site; reinforcing key safety information regularly with signs and infographics; and making sure trainees can perform a task under supervision so you know they understand.
- “It won’t happen to me.” Overconfidence or complacency can be dangerous. You can respond by having crew members rotate assignments to combat complacency (provided their training for each assignment is thorough); using close calls as learning opportunities when training (without mentioning who was involved); and reminding crews they can always ask questions and get clarification before completing a task.
- “We didn’t have the right equipment.” This is common after an incident involving makeshift tools or improvised techniques. You can respond by confirming the right equipment is on the job site before work starts; making it easy for workers to report missing or damaged equipment and get a replacement; and creating space in the budget for purchasing quality equipment.
- “Nobody got hurt.” People use this excuse to justify unsafe behavior that did not result in an injury. You can respond by tracking near-misses and unsafe conditions rather than just accidents; recognizing workers that proactively address hazards; setting specific, measurable safety goals; and reinforcing that absence of injury is not the same as safe.
