July 24, 2025  | Kyle Brown

Over the years, I have worked in many industries and spent time with a variety of special districts. Throughout all of this experience I have seen a multitude of injuries and illnesses  ranging from common injuries to career ending events. Out of all of these incidents, there is one common factor thing that stands out: All injuries have some level of human involvement that caused the situation. 

It's important for me to say that I am by no means saying humans are the sole cause of injuries and there is nothing we can do to change that. What I am saying is human behavior is the root cause of most injuries, and understanding the underlying causes of these behaviors can eliminate most workplace injuries. 
In this article, I will discuss the top human factors that influence injuries in the workplace. We will cover what causes these factors, the risks associated and what you can do to prevent these behaviors. 

Lack of training and knowledge

Injuries in the workplace are often times caused by lack of knowledge and insufficient training. This is by no means the fault of the employee, but responsibility can be traced back to management and the team training the employee. 

That is why it is so important to assess each role in the district and perform a risk analysis of the position, identifying the possible hazards associated with the position. Even for organizations that only have office employees, I would want to make sure the person is trained in office ergonomics, slips trips and falls, and lifting, because even lifting a package of printer paper can lead to a back injury. 

Once you have assessed the hazards associated with the position, ask yourself: Do you have a training program to educate the employee about the hazards and how to protect themselves? Training is so important because a trained employee is an employee who is empowered to make decisions that will protect themselves and rest of the team. 

One common option for training is job shadowing with a senior employee. However, it is very important to ask yourself if the employee you are partnering with the trainee is going to give good instructions or teach them bad habits. 

We have been focusing on training new employees, but I want to remind you continuing education and training refreshers are key to your team knowledgeable and empowered. Continuous education will help reduce the possibility of the next human cause of loss…

Complacency 

Another major human-centric factor contributing to employee injury is complacency. The majority of injuries we see are not from your extremely hazardous tasks like going into a burning building or entering a confined space with a hazardous atmosphere. Rather they tend to come from our day-to-day activities like lifting or walking. 

The reasoning behind this is that when you have a task with obvious hazards, it is easier to identify them, prepare, and take extreme caution to prevent. However, it is the mundane task that lead to most of our injuries. 

Consider when you leave your car in the morning to walk into work. Before you get out, are you asking yourself what are the hazards associated with walking into the building? Probably not. On the flipside, how many have slipped or tripped walking into work? I certainly have.

Another example of complacency is frequent exposure to daily tasks. Let’s use the example of climbing a ladder to an elevated height. The first time you climb the ladder you are acutely aware of the hazards and take extra precautions to remain safe. However, after climbing the same ladder everyday for years, it is easy to get into a routine and forget about performing the task, as well as the hazards. But let me ask you this…are the hazards you were exposed to on the first day still present? The answer is yes. 

To help prevent complacency it is vital to remind your team that hazards are still present whether it is a job you do once a year or once a day. I also strongly encourage you to create a "refresher" training schedule for your team so you can keep the hazards in the forefront of your minds. 

Lastly, be sure to devise a near-miss program within your district to discuss incidents that could have lead to an injury. After every near-miss, this program should have you asking: What happened? Why did it happen? And what can we do to prevent this from happening again?

It won't happen to me

This next human factor that commonly leads to injury is the mentality of “it won’t happen to me” or “we have always done it this way”. 

While this could be considered another form of complacency, this factor goes one step beyond because the risk is seen as too small to worry about, even though it is well-known.

This is also what I like to call the "one-in-a-million chance" argument, when an employee thinks the odds of an incident happening to them is so small that it could never happen. Well, my counterargument to this is there are 150,000 safety professionals employed in the United States who might be arguing about their "one-in-a-million chance."  When you consider that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 15 fatalities per day at the workplace in the United States, those odds start to look a bit more concerning. 

It's management's responsibility to notice this behavior and educate your team about the risk in a way that resonates with them. Even if it is a strict enforcement of policy, it is better to have employees mad at you and know you are doing all you can do to ensure they leave work in the same condition they arrived.

Improper tools and equipment 

Many times when we are completing a task we find ourselves in a situation where a specific tool or piece of equipment is needed. Unfortunately, the piece of equipment is back at the office or it is a non-routine task and the tool is missing. 

In most cases, you improvise and get the job done. In some cases, however, the missing tool could be the difference between life and death. 

For example, consider performing the task of lifting a manhole cover. There is a tool designed to help you open the cover, and although you could use other equipment if you are missing the tool, doing so could expose you to a greater risk of injury such as smashed fingers or a strained muscle. 

Consider another example: Let’s say you are about to use  a piece of equipment and have to isolate the equipment from its source of electricity. When this is done properly, the machine should be tested to make sure there is no electrical hazard remaining. Failure to ensure the equipment is not electrified could lead to electrocution. But what happens if you do not have the proper equipment in advance? 

I have encountered incidents where staff wanted to do the job correctly and safely but did not feel comfortable taking the time to get the right equipment or asking management to purchase it, resulting in a fatality.
With that in mind, it is critical to remind your team to always use or request the right equipment, and to celebrate employees who take these steps.

Lack of focus

This next human tendency is something we all experience: a lapse in focus. This could be caused by an illness, a personal issue, or any number of other things. But the best way to address this is to incorporate best practices that encourages staff to speak up when something is amiss.

For example, if you have an employee who is flagging traffic and the employee is sick with a common cold, it is a best practice to encourage the employee to tell you how they are feeling. If they are dizzy or tired, it could be catastrophic for them and the rest of the team if traffic is not properly being directed. It is important to notice this in yourself and your team. Also, encourage teammates to communicate this with you, because if your mind is not on the task at hand it could endanger the employee and those working with them.

Final reminders

Most workplace injuries are caused by human behaviors we are all guilty of doing. In the name of prevention, I encourage each of you to:

1. Make sure your team is aware of hazards associated with the job, and train them how to mitigate the hazards
2. Understand complacency is real, and educate employees how to keep safe work practices at the forefront of their minds. 
3. Injuries do happen, and thinking “it won't happen to me” does not make you resistant to the injury. Filling safety protocols protects you from injury
4. Even if it adds extra time to your day, making sure you have the appropriate equipment could keep you and your team safe
5. Be aware of your mental state, and don’t be afraid to notify your team you are not in the right headspace to safely complete a task. 

Following these reminders could be the difference between a normal day at work and one that can change your life.