To be effective, it is essential that management assess the operation and develop
an in-depth appreciation of the nature and scope of any risk associated with the operation. This assessment will help to identify hazards related to activities that are inherently unsafe. If used routinely, an effective Job hazard Analysis will enhance the effectiveness of any safety process, no matter the type of organization.
The next element in developing a risk assessment process is to review human behaviors that results in the completion of assigned tasks and the underlining culture of the organization. "Consequences analysis" or "gap analysis" are great tools that can be used to determine if the facility has unconsciously designed specific procedures and/or guidelines that potentially drive the wrong behaviors. The ideal safe behavior is driven by the reinforcement and understanding of what happens after specific at-risk behaviors. The consequences assessment will help managers better determine the type of feedback that employees should receive when they perform a task.
The consequences of working safe and following safety rules may be found to be outweighed by the consequences in place for getting the job completed. Employees may take reducing the risk of a supervisor's criticism about productivity (high probability) over the risk of injury as the possibility that something injuries will happen is usually a low probability for most tasks. We, as a society, appear to have a built in bias towards "if there is no immediate loss, there is no immediate risk." "I have done this for thirty years this way and have never been hurt."