5 Reasons Inspections Get Missed By Honest Workers
For many of us, routine workplace inspections such as fire equipment, first aid equipment, and preventative maintenance are a monthly, daily or even hourly occurrence. Several legislative Acts mandate these inspections, putting pressure on Employers and Property Managers. Despite these pressures, the majority of us have at least one item that chronically falls through the cracks. Why might this be? We set out to answer just that, and returned with these top 5 factors.
1. Procrastination
According to a study conducted by verywell.com, 20% of people chronically avoid difficult tasks. Some key reasons for procrastinating include: not knowing where to start, feeling overwhelmed from disorganization, and forgetting to do it. The use of automatic reminders can help kick this habit.
2. Ambiguous locations
Often, many floors and hallways look similar. Having a list of location descriptions can sometimes falsely lead workers to believe that each location was visited, as all the descriptions sound familiar and lack detail. A simple solution of nomenclature or electronic identifier can help workers confirm they are inspecting the correct location.
3. Fear of incompetence
The fear of making a mistake and therefore not looking like an expert is particularly prevalent with individuals concerned with their reputation. Workers in this category are typically the least suspected due to their strong performance record; however they excel again once their initial fear is replaced with expertise. Allowing time for them to adjust or experiment can restore the feeling of expertise.
4. Interpersonal issues
According to the book Organizational Psychology: A Scientist-Practitioner Approach, having a “free rider” on the team will no doubt have a negative impact on other members. Strong workers, seeing their efforts impeded by picking up for the shortcomings of others, will become frustrated. This cascade effect can be mitigated if strong workers believe the free rider will not go unnoticed by Management; a simple acknowledgement of a job well done goes a long way. A system of time-stamping and user-stamping each inspection report will identify the strong performers.
5. Site obstructions
Not having clear or safe access to the area being inspected could be a result of construction, clutter, weather, or other common factors preventing the inspection from being completed. The real issue is remembering which locations need to be revisited after the clipboard gets put down. Having an electronic way to sift through the hundreds or thousands of reports will make revisiting more manageable.
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Written by Paul Amendola, from Tap Report. Tap Report is an app that digitizes workplace inspections (i.e. fire equipment, washroom, first aid etc.) and automates the reporting process.