A senior lab technician ignores safety protocols. How would you address this critical breach?
When a senior lab technician sidesteps safety protocols, immediate action is crucial. Here's a strategic approach to tackle this hazard:
- Conduct a private discussion to understand why protocols were ignored and reiterate their importance.
- Provide additional training or resources that reinforce safety standards and procedures.
- Implement stricter oversight and consequences for future breaches to maintain a culture of compliance.
How do you ensure safety protocols are followed in your workplace?
A senior lab technician ignores safety protocols. How would you address this critical breach?
When a senior lab technician sidesteps safety protocols, immediate action is crucial. Here's a strategic approach to tackle this hazard:
- Conduct a private discussion to understand why protocols were ignored and reiterate their importance.
- Provide additional training or resources that reinforce safety standards and procedures.
- Implement stricter oversight and consequences for future breaches to maintain a culture of compliance.
How do you ensure safety protocols are followed in your workplace?
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When a senior team member exhibits unsafe behavior, it becomes especially dangerous, as others tend to follow their example, leading even those who were doing things right to deviate. A direct conversation with that individual should occur immediately, making it clear that safety is non-negotiable. There’s no excuse that justifies compromising safety, and as a senior, they have a responsibility to their colleagues and the entire organization. After addressing the issue once or twice, disciplinary action, up to dismissal, should follow if necessary. Do you think this is harsh? NO! safety and the greater good must always come before any individual, regardless of their position or importance.
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Safety is non-negotiable in a lab setting. Not only can it cause injury to those ignoring the safety protocol, but it can also injure others or damage the lab itself. If a senior lab technician is doing it, then explain it to him of the consequences mentioned above. Also highlight it to him how his behavior may be mimicked by the juniors in team. To get the senior lab technician earnestly be involved in infusing the culture of safety within the lab, add a new KRA to his- "of displaying and coaching others in safety behavior within the lab". Continue to monitor his adherence & progress. Give timely feedback if he slips back to his old ways. However, if he is consistently upholding the safety standards, then praise him for his sincere effort
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Discipline is the cornerstone of any safety being breached no matter the situation. Having a clear set of discipline actions when safety protocols is not adhered to is a driving force to ensure violators are help accountable. You can dictate your choice, but not the consequences.
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Disciplinary actions are one thing. The supervisor would need to hold his/her employees accountable. My concern would be the ‘why’? What’s the root of why the senior lab tech sidestepped the policy? Is the policy outdated? Is it redundant due to current technology or shares knowledge of the department? Has an engineering control now made a process obsolete? Let’s not forget that the employee is a senior in his/her field and not ignorant to unidentified hazards of said workplace. This could be a situation where our safety policies are restricting more than protecting. This is another example of why JHA/JSA should be used and updated as a team (worker/manager/and safety).
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Agregar medidas de control además de modificar los comportamientos de los colaboradores puede ser punto crucial para la mejora de la seguridad además de implementar sistemas de corroboración entre compañeros ayudaría a mejorar la implementación y cambiar la cultura
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