The underreporting of safety incidents has long been a scourge. But many believed the issue had been improving over time, with the experience of COVID, in particular, acting as a catalyst for change.
Recent data suggests that’s not the case. What’s going on? Read on to learn how much workplace harm still goes unreported.
How many safety incidents go un- and under-reported
Well, a recent survey from Lloyd’s Register Foundation concludes that the number of safety incidents going unreported remain unacceptably high.
The global poll showed that almost one out of five surveyed workers (around 18%) have endured serious harm on the job in the past two years. Of those, only 51% of cases were reported.
A staggering 49% - almost half – went unreported.
Making matters worse, 62% of those currently in the workforce report having never received occupational safety and health training about risks associated with their work.
Within the agriculture sector, the number skyrockets to 80%.
The reasons why safety incidents go unreported
So, what are the reasons why?
There’s a level of human bias. Workers are generally not worried about workplace harm until they experience it themselves: “Worry levels about workplace harm increase significantly as exposure to it — either by knowing someone harmed or personally experiencing harm — increases.”
What of those workers who experience harm but don’t report?
Training factors into it. As the report finds, “there is a significant relationship between safety training and the likelihood of reporting workplace harm. The more recently people have had training, the more likely they are to report workplace harm if they experience it.”
To quantify: the odds of an individual who has received OSH training in the past two years reporting are three point three times higher than an individual who has not. Odds then fall to one point eight times higher among those who have received training but not in the last two years.
Reluctance to report safety incidents
Training isn’t the only factor, though, particularly in the case of underreporting, which can refer either to employees not reporting injury or illness to their employer or employers who report inaccurate numbers themselves.
Factors contributing to underreporting include:
- Fear of reprisals
- Obstacles in record keeping
- Belief that pain is an ordinary consequence of some jobs
- Lack of management responsiveness
- Pressure of production
- Employer incentive programs
- Poor regulatory knowledge
Reporting workplace harm
Boosting these numbers requires a multi-pronged approach. One pillar is building best-practice reporting systems, such as those recommended in safety management system standards like ISO 45001. Within these systems, the International Labour Organization (ILO) recommends covering the following four domains:
- Occupational accidents
- Diseases
- Dangerous occurrences
- Commuting accidents
Digging deeper, employers need to make these reporting tools clearly available to their employees, most likely through the auspices of safety management software that also serves as a central hubs for health and safety, wellbeing, and contractor management, offering real-time analytics for better decision-making.
Further, these tools need to be rolled out as a part of a wider initiative foregrounding the importance of safety and reporting to the organization. That pro-safety and reporting culture will include regular trainings, inspections, risk assessments, and audits.
How else to get your team reporting regularly on safety incidents and near misses? Check out our Guide to Addressing Underreporting of Safety Incidents to find out.
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