They’re not “accidents”

Did you ever stop to think that certain expressions used in the safety and health field actually hurt safety efforts? Words have a powerful influence on our attitudes and behaviors, and some words we habitually use in the safety and health field send the wrong message.

The first definition of “accident” in the New Merriam Webster Dictionary is “an event occurring by chance or unintentionally.” Are workplace accidents truly chance occurrences? Don’t we try to develop the belief and expectation that accidents can be prevented by controlling factors such as environmental conditions, behaviors and attitudes? Accident is the wrong word to use when referring to unintentional injuries. Continuing to use this term will reduce the number of people who believe accidents can be prevented.