Why Most Workplace Safety Programs Fail It's easy to think your safety program is solid just because you have policies, posters, and a yearly training session... but you know that's not how it really plays out in the real world. If you're like most leaders, you've seen how a safety manual can exist on paper while everyday habits quietly drift into risky territory and that's exactly where most programs fall flat. The tough truth is that checklist-driven safety rarely changes b

When it comes to running a business, safety is not just a box to tick. It’s a vital part of your operations that protects your team, your reputation, and your bottom line. I’ve seen firsthand how effective workplace risk management strategies can transform a business environment. So, let’s dive into some practical, top workplace risk management tips that you can start applying today to keep your workplace safe and compliant. Understanding Workplace Risk Management Tips Workpl

When it comes to running a business, especially in bustling regions like the Greater Toronto Area, managing risks is not just a good idea - it’s essential. I’ve seen firsthand how effective risk management strategies can transform a workplace, making it safer, more compliant, and ultimately more productive. But what does it really take to implement these strategies well? Let’s dive into practical steps and insights that can help you build a robust risk management framework ta

When it comes to running a business, safety compliance is not just a legal obligation - it’s a commitment to your team’s well-being. I’ve seen firsthand how prioritizing workplace safety can transform a company’s culture and efficiency. But how do you ensure your workplace meets all the necessary safety standards without getting overwhelmed? Let’s break down some practical safety compliance strategies that you can implement right away. Understanding Safety Compliance Strategi

Safety.Coach Every shift, supervisors make dozens of safety decisions. Most of them never make it into a report.Most of them never trigger a phone call to a safety manager.But every one of them matters . The reality is simple: supervisors are the front line of safety performance — and too often, they’re expected to operate with limited support, outdated tools, or “figure it out” guidance. Safety.Coach exists to change that. Not by replacing supervisors.Not by automating safe

Workplace safety is a critical concern for every organization. One of the most effective ways to protect employees and reduce accidents is through thorough risk assessment. Identifying potential hazards before they cause harm helps create a safer environment and ensures compliance with safety regulations. This article explores why risk assessment matters, how it works, and practical steps to implement it effectively. Safety officer conducting risk assessment in industrial set

By Michael Matthew  — Safety.Inc  | Certified Health & Safety Consultant | Operational Risk Management Professional Growth without scalable safety is not growth — it is compounding risk. Many organizations face a critical challenge when expanding rapidly: their safety programs lag behind operational growth. New hires, contractors, equipment, and processes multiply, but safety systems often remain static. This gap creates vulnerabilities that can lead to accidents, compliance

By Michael Matthew  — Safety.Inc  | Certified Health & Safety Consultant | Operational Risk Management Professional Safety culture in any organization depends heavily on supervisors. Leadership often recognizes that supervisors shape about 80% of the safety culture, yet many supervisors have never been trained in how to coach safety, manage risks, or lead under pressure. This gap creates inconsistency in safety practices and can put frontline workers at risk. You don’t rise t

By Michael Matthew  — Safety.Inc  | Certified Health & Safety Consultant | Operational Risk Management Professional Repeat incidents in organizations cause frustration, lost time, and wasted resources. Leaders often find themselves stuck in a cycle of surface-level investigations that point to generic root causes like “human error.” This approach leaves the true drivers of failures hidden, allowing problems to resurface again and again. To break this cycle, leaders need to ad

By Michael Matthew  — Safety.Inc  | Certified Health & Safety Consultant | Operational Risk Management Professional If your safety system creates more paperwork than protection, you don’t have a safety system. This blunt truth echoes through many organizations today. Safety leaders often find themselves drowning in forms, reports, and checklists that seem to multiply without actually making workplaces safer. The challenge is clear: modern safety systems have become bogged dow

By Michael Matthew — Safety.Inc  | Certified Health & Safety Consultant | Operational Risk Management Professional "If your safety program only tells you what happened last month, it’s not protecting you today." This statement cuts to the heart of a common problem in many organizations: leaders often operate without a clear understanding of their real risks. They rely on outdated reports and lagging indicators, assuming that no recent incidents mean everything is fine. This

By Michael Matthew — Safety.Inc  | Certified Health & Safety Consultant | Operational Risk Management Professional Ladders are common tools in many workplaces and homes, yet they pose significant risks if not properly maintained. Each year, thousands of injuries occur due to ladder failures or misuse. Regular ladder inspections play a crucial role in preventing accidents and ensuring safety. This guide covers essential steps for conducting thorough ladder inspections, what to

By Michael Matthew — Safety.Inc  | Certified Health & Safety Consultant | Operational Risk Management Professional Safety programs are supposed to protect workers, reduce accidents, and create a culture of care. Yet, many organizations find themselves trapped in a dangerous illusion: their safety program isn’t failing because it’s ineffective, but because it’s lying to them. The metrics, reports, and checklists often paint a picture that looks good on paper but hides serious

By Michael Matthew — Safety.Inc  | Certified Health & Safety Consultant | Operational Risk Management Professional Workplace safety is often seen as a matter of rules, equipment, and procedures. Yet, one of the most critical factors is rarely about the physical environment. It lies in the culture created by leadership. The statement, “If your workers are afraid to speak up… you don’t have a safety problem — you have a leadership crisis,” highlights a profound truth: fear sil

By Michael Matthew — Safety.Inc  | Certified Health & Safety Consultant | Operational Risk Management Professional Workplace safety depends heavily on the effectiveness of the Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC). Yet many organizations struggle with JHSCs that seem ineffective or broken. The truth is, these committees are often not broken at all. Instead, they suffer from underfunding, undervaluation, and widespread misunderstanding of their role and potential. This post

By Michael Matthew — Safety.Inc  | Certified Health & Safety Consultant | Operational Risk Management Professional When accidents happen, the immediate reaction often points to "human error" as the cause. This phrase has become a default explanation, but it oversimplifies complex situations and unfairly blames individuals. A modern safety mindset calls for a shift in perspective: stop calling it human error and start calling it a system failure. This change in language reflec

Best Practices for Orientation Programs By Michael Matthew — Safety.Inc  | Certified Health & Safety Consultant | Operational Risk Management Professional I. INTRODUCTION Overview The rapid shift to remote and hybrid work environments over the past five years, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has fundamentally transformed workplace dynamics and safety priorities worldwide. Orientation programs, traditionally designed for in-person settings, now face the challenge of ensu

And the Management Strategies Every Employer Should Implement Workplace Safety 2025 Workplace safety in 2025 was reshaped by three forces: New regulatory expectations (Ontario’s Working for Workers Acts & OHSA amendments). Advancing technology and AI-driven risk management. A shift toward holistic safety culture, including psychological, ergonomic, and human-factor risks. Below are the most significant trends — written for employers, safety professionals, and organizational l

The Legal Shift: New Amendments under the “Working for Workers” Laws Over the last few years, the Ontario Provincial Government has passed a succession of omnibus labour bills — under the banner “Working for Workers Act, 2023 (Bill 79)”, followed by Working for Workers Five Act, 2024 (Bill 190), Working for Workers Six Act, 2024 (Bill 229), and most recently Working for Workers Seven Act, 2025 (Bill 30). Collectively, these have introduced some of the most significant changes

Work-as-Imaged Vs Work-as-Done By Michael Matthew — Safety.Inc | Certified Health & Safety Consultant | Operational Risk Management Professional Workplace incidents rarely happen because someone “broke a rule.”Incidents happen because of conditions , pressures , flows of work , and cognitive limits  that most traditional safety systems simply don’t measure — or even see. For the last 30 years, industries have obsessed over:✔ policies✔ procedures✔ training✔ audits✔ paperwork✔