Zero Incidents: How to Create a Workplace Free from Injuries

The article concludes by encouraging industry leaders to embrace AI as a game-changing tool in refining existing EHS (Environment, Health, and Safety) practices. By harnessing the power of AI, organizations can break free from the cycle of repeating previous methods and truly realize the vision of an injury-free workplace.
Wojciech Tubek
CEO @ Surveily
5 minutes
 read
In my extensive experience working in various manufacturing environments across different industries, I have always believed that achieving and maintaining an injury-free workplace, known as the 'Zero Incidents,' is feasible with the right preventive measures in place. To make this possible, a proactive approach, predicting incidents before they happen, is crucial.

The term "Injury-Free Workplace" often conjures two distinct images: either a fully automated system with no human presence, or an environment tightly controlled by detailed procedures. However, many existing health and safety indicators in the industry are heavily qualitative and biased, relying on reported incidents, which may not reflect the complete picture accurately. This limited data is then used to determine safety initiatives, allocate resources, and plan future safety programs, making it challenging for organizations to make informed decisions.

Traditional safety methods have undoubtedly helped mitigate some risks, with standardized work procedures, incentive programs, and risk management leading us closer to zero injuries. However, progress seems to have plateaued. To break free from this stagnation, the focus should shift towards obtaining leading indicator data that can prevent injuries without compromising worker privacy.

Industry leaders are now revisiting and refining existing EHS practices, but there is a need for a novel and different approach to achieve the vision of an "Injury-Free" workplace. The answer lies in Artificial Intelligence (AI) that has the ability to identify previously unseen patterns and predict potential injuries.

Imagine a scenario where EHS employees measure effectiveness through a competency test, but despite providing 100% passing ergonomic lifting training to the workforce, only 50% of employees use the correct lifting technique. In such cases, the true effectiveness of the training is in question. To address this, Surveily, an AI-powered solution, can be the missing piece to enhance safety measures beyond human capabilities.

Embracing AI does not mean relinquishing control.I nstead, it empowers organizations by providing invaluable insights. Human behavior, though often deemed unpredictable, actually follows patterns. Every workplace injury has leading indicators and measurable signs that could potentially highlight its likelihood. Current programs may fall short in tracking these indicators, relying heavily on human observation, but Surveily's AI model, leveraging computer vision, complements existing efforts, enabling the detection of critical indicators that may go unnoticed to the human eye.

Unlike traditional once-a-day reporting, Surveily's AI safety platform offers real-time incident monitoring and the ability to identify patterns, providing EHS professionals with 24/7 access to unbiased quantitative data. This data is crucial in predicting and preventing injuries before they occur, taking the 'Zero Incidents' to new heights.