One Question Every Safety Manager Should Ask to Prevent Workplace Accidents
May 06, 2025Accidents don’t usually happen when it's convenient—and yet, when they do occur, most people aren’t truly surprised. Shocked? Sure. But surprised? Not really.
Why is that?
In many cases, the signs were there all along. People had a gut feeling. They’d seen the close calls. They’d thought to themselves, “Yeah, if something’s going to go wrong, it’ll probably be there.”
As a safety manager, your job is to make sure that “gut feeling” turns into preventive action—not reactive regret. And it all starts with asking one simple but powerful question:
"How is someone going to get hurt here?"
Start With the Right Question in Your Next Safety Meeting
When you gather your team for your next safety meeting, do this:
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Ask everyone to grab a piece of paper.
Have them imagine walking into work tomorrow and hearing that someone’s had a serious accident. -
Now ask:
What happened?
Have them write down two specific scenarios where someone could realistically get hurt in your facility. -
Go deeper: Discuss these follow-up questions:
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Where will it happen?
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How will it happen?
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What exactly will happen?
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When is it most likely (shift, season, situation)?
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Who is involved (new hire, visitor, contractor)?
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Why will it happen?
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Once you've gathered everyone’s answers, write them on a whiteboard. Chances are, you’ll find a surprising amount of overlap. If four out of seven team members say the same thing, that’s a red flag—and an opportunity to prevent a serious incident.
Real Example: Predictable Patterns, Preventable Problems
At a state-of-the-art facility I visited recently, I asked this very question. The room was full of experienced managers. When they completed the accident scenario exercise, over half of them predicted the same incident. It wasn’t a guess—it was a near-certainty in their minds.
They knew where it would happen: the warehouse.
They knew how: someone walking through would get hit by a forklift.
They knew why: poor visibility, no high-vis vests, no horns honking, too many people on their phones.
And if they could all see it coming, why hadn’t it been fixed?
Simple: no one had asked the right question.
Actionable Safety Improvements That Start with “How?”
Once you identify high-risk areas and scenarios, take immediate steps. For example:
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Install signage like “Authorized Personnel Only” and “Forklift Traffic Ahead.”
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Enforce high-visibility PPE in designated zones.
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Retrain operators and staff on horn use and pedestrian awareness.
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Limit foot traffic in high-risk areas or designate safe walkways.
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Review your JSA (Job Safety Analysis) for accuracy and completeness.
Set deadlines and assign ownership. For instance, “By next Tuesday, we’ll have signage installed and refresher training complete.”
BONUS: Prepare for the Unexpected with Our OSHA Audit Checklist
Speaking of being prepared—are you ready for an unexpected OSHA visit?
Download my free OSHA Audit Checklist at HelpWithOSHA.com. It’s the best way to make sure your team is audit-ready and fully compliant with OSHA standards.
Want to go deeper? Check out the full online course that shows you how to:
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Prevent OSHA from knocking in the first place,
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Respond properly during an audit,
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Handle the informal conference process, and
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Negotiate or eliminate citations.
Visit HelpWithOSHA.com to get started.
Safety Isn’t About Blame. It’s About Prevention.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about pointing fingers. It’s about fixing systems. When people already expect an accident but nothing gets done to prevent it, that’s when safety fails.
You, as a safety manager—even if you wear many hats—have the power to change that. Start by initiating the conversation. Lead the meeting. Ask the hard question:
“How is someone going to get hurt around here?”
The answers you get might just be the key to preventing the next serious accident.
Because no one should get hurt at work.
Want more practical safety strategies?
👉 Download your free OSHA audit checklist at HelpWithOSHA.com
