You might be wondering the reason for the photo.
The photo is a perfect representation of how sometimes as humans, we deviate from a normal path or process for what we think is an easier option, without fully considering the consequences of our actions. In the dry conditions shown the path deviation is usable but in the wet it becomes an accident waiting to happen.
To put this into context, an incident occurred in a garden centre.
The injury incident occurred due to a conscious decision to change the process, resulting in a person fracturing a finger, when it was crushed by a slab that fell while being moved during a two man lift.
The task had been risk assessed and the safe operating process documented.
The normal and preferred process for moving and stacking slabs is for the slabs to be positioned in a star like set up, so the corners of the slab are exposed and easy to grasp to avoid the risk of fingers getting trapped. On this occasion that did not happen, so when one of the people lost grip of their end of the slab, the finger of the other person got trapped between the dropped slab and the existing stack.
An independent safety review can help.
Many organisations put safety systems in place but do not regularly check for deviation from what has been decided. Build in a programme of assurance checks and start to make a difference. There are some novel and innovative ways to take simple steps to stop your people becoming deviants.
