Breaking The Silence Part 5: Strategies for Improving Safety by Challenging Assumptions

Part 5 of A 7-part series on How Questioning Assumptions Enhances Workplace Safety. Earlier in this series, I discussed the importance of conducting effective Job Hazard Analysis.

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Increased Vigilance: Staying Sharp When It Counts

Challenging assumptions isn’t just about preventing mistakes; it’s about embracing a mindset of constant vigilance. When we push ourselves and our teams to question what we think we know, we stay alert, scanning for potential hazards that could easily slip under the radar. This proactive approach flips safety from being just another box to check into an ongoing, dynamic process where everyone plays a role in spotting risks.

When we start challenging our assumptions, we become more tuned in to the details and subtleties of our work environment. It’s those details that can make the difference between catching a minor issue early or letting it spiral into something much bigger. This heightened awareness is crucial in our line of work, where even the smallest oversight can have serious consequences.

But here’s the thing—vigilance isn’t automatic. It’s something we have to intentionally cultivate and maintain. A great way to do this is by making it a standard practice to challenge assumptions at every stage of the job. Whether we’re planning, executing, or reviewing, creating moments to pause and ask, “Are we missing something?” keeps complacency out of the equation and makes safety the priority it needs to be.

Building a Safety-First Culture: Creating Space for Open Dialogue

A culture where questioning assumptions is encouraged automatically strengthens both communication and safety practices. When your team feels empowered to speak up, challenge the status quo, and voice concerns, it opens up honest conversations about potential risks. This isn’t just good for trust—it leads to more thorough safety planning and execution.

Creating this type of culture starts at the top. As a Safety Director, I’ve seen how leadership sets the tone. When leaders model the behavior of questioning assumptions and openly discussing risks, it encourages the rest of the team to do the same. You’ve got to create an environment where every team member feels comfortable speaking up, no matter how small the concern might seem.

In my experience, some of the most valuable insights come from the folks on the ground—the ones out there doing the work every day. When you build a culture where those insights are welcomed and acted on, you’re not just improving safety. You’re strengthening the entire team. When everyone is engaged in identifying and addressing risks, the whole group becomes more resilient, more cohesive, and better prepared to tackle the unexpected.

Practical Strategies for Preventing Future Incidents

So, how do you take the concept of challenging assumptions and embed it into your daily operations? Here are a few actionable strategies to help keep your team sharp and prevent incidents before they happen:

Pre-Job Briefs: Don’t just go over the tasks—take the time to dig into any assumptions the team might be making. Ask questions, encourage doubts, and make sure everyone’s on the same page. Personally, I like to pause after the pre-job brief to ensure the crew is in sync. I have them look around the site and answer two questions: “What’s your role?” and “What are your concerns?” This quick check ensures clarity and gives everyone a chance to voice any hesitations before work begins.

Checklists and Verifications: For even the most routine jobs, build in extra verification steps. Double-check equipment, safety measures, and the environment. Like The Checklist Manifesto emphasizes, in complex situations, checklists aren’t just helpful—they’re essential. They ensure no steps are missed and nothing is overlooked. While professional judgment will always play a role, it’s most effective when backed by structured, repeatable processes.

Peer Reviews: Create a culture where team members review each other’s work specifically to identify any assumptions. As Daniel Kahneman discusses in Thinking, Fast and Slow, we’re often blind to our own blind spots. Having a second set of eyes can uncover risks that might have been missed, helping to avoid mistakes that could lead to bigger problems. By tapping into the collective experience of the group, you create a safety net that minimizes individual biases and leads to better, more reliable outcomes.

Continuous Training: Keeping safety practices sharp means training needs to be ongoing. Incorporate lessons on challenging assumptions into regular training sessions, and use real-life examples to drive home the importance of staying curious. Encourage your team to constantly seek out new information—whether that’s through formal training, reading up on industry updates, or simply having more open conversations about safety. A team that’s continually learning is a team that’s prepared for whatever comes next.

Making Vigilance a Core Value

All these strategies work together to make challenging assumptions second nature in your daily operations. The bottom line? Vigilance should be a core value in your safety culture. By fostering an environment where assumptions are always questioned and where every team member feels empowered to speak up, you create a workplace that’s not only safer but also more resilient.

In the next part of this series, we’ll dive into the importance of continuous improvement in safety practices. We’ll look at how after-action reviews can help teams learn from their experiences and apply those lessons to future tasks. Stay tuned as we continue building a safety approach that emphasizes vigilance, communication, and ongoing learning.