“We’ve never had an incident” sounds positive, but in safety it can be one of the most dangerous phrases a company uses. It often signals complacency, underreporting, or blind spots in how work is really done. For a strong safety culture and solid legal and reputational protection, leaders need to challenge this mindset instead of celebrating it.
Many serious workplace accidents follow long periods with no recorded incidents. Research from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board shows that major process safety events are frequently preceded by smaller, overlooked warning signs and near misses that were not acted on effectively. When an organization believes it is “incident‑free,” those signs are easier to dismiss as noise rather than critical data.
The Hidden Risk Behind “No Incidents”
Saying “we’ve never had an incident” can hide several risks:
- Underreporting: Employees may not report near misses, minor injuries, or unsafe conditions because they do not want to “break the streak.”
- Complacency: Leaders may reduce oversight, training, or maintenance because they assume current controls are enough.
- Blind spots: Hazard identification may be weak, so risks simply are not seen or recorded.
Underreporting is common across industries. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses are often undercounted, in part due to reporting barriers and fear of consequences. If people think management values a clean record more than honest reporting, they quickly learn to stay quiet.
Why a “Perfect” Record Can Be a Warning Sign
An apparently perfect record can mean the organization is not learning. A mature safety culture expects small failures and near misses to show up in the data. It treats them as free lessons instead of reputational threats.
A company with no reported near misses, no minor property damage, and no first‑aid events over a long period is not necessarily safe. It may be that:
- Supervisors fix issues informally but never log them.
- Workers “walk off” minor injuries to avoid paperwork.
- Contractors experience incidents that are never captured in company systems.
When leadership proudly announces, “We’ve never had an incident,” it can shut down honest discussion about real risks and past close calls. People may feel their lived experience of hazards conflicts with the official narrative, so they stop speaking up.
The Impact on Toolbox Talks and Day‑to‑Day Safety
Toolbox talks exist to keep risk visible. When the message is “we have no incidents,” the unspoken message can become “we do not really expect anything to go wrong here.” That undermines the purpose of the talk.
A more effective toolbox talk approach is to:
- Acknowledge reality: “We have had close calls, and we take them seriously.”
- Focus on learning: “Every near miss is a chance to improve how we work.”
- Emphasize reporting: “We want every hazard, every time. You will not be blamed for speaking up.”
Instead of bragging about an incident‑free record, supervisors can discuss what almost went wrong last week, what barriers caught it, and what changes were made so it is less likely to happen again. This keeps psychological safety high and encourages active participation.
How “No Incidents” Can Mask Systemic Weaknesses
A lack of reported incidents can mask deeper issues in systems and culture:
1. Weak Hazard Reporting
If hazard reports are rare, it rarely means the environment is risk‑free. It usually means workers do not believe reporting is worth the effort or feel their concerns are ignored. Over time, this leads to unaddressed equipment defects, unsafe shortcuts, and outdated procedures.
2. Punitive Response to Mistakes
If mistakes or near misses are met with punishment instead of problem solving, people adapt by hiding them. This can create a false picture of control until a serious event forces reality into view.
3. Overreliance on Lagging Indicators
Counting only recordable injuries or lost time incidents is not enough. Organizations that focus solely on lagging indicators can be blindsided. Forward‑looking companies track leading indicators such as hazard reports, safety conversations, corrective actions closed, and training quality.
Psychological Safety and Speaking Up
High‑reliability organizations in aviation, healthcare, and energy all emphasize psychological safety: people must feel safe to raise concerns without fear of blame or ridicule. When they do not, warning signs disappear.
For example, analysis of serious healthcare events repeatedly points to a pattern where staff noticed abnormal conditions but were hesitant to escalate. In industries with strong safety performance, such as commercial aviation, even minor anomalies are reported and investigated, often through formal voluntary reporting systems that protect reporters and encourage learning.
When leaders say “we’ve never had an incident” instead of “we keep finding and fixing problems,” they unintentionally define success as silence. Over time, that silence becomes a risk factor.
What Leaders Can Say Instead
Replacing risky language with learning‑focused language is a powerful shift. Here are safer alternatives:
- “We assume there are risks we have not seen yet, and we want your help finding them.”
- “We have had close calls; here is what we learned and changed.”
- “Our goal is not just zero harm, but constant learning and improvement.”
- “Reporting hazards and near misses is a positive performance behavior, not a problem.”
This language tells workers that the company expects imperfection and values transparency. It also shows regulators, clients, and insurers that the organization is serious about managing real risk, not just statistics.
Practical Steps to Move Beyond the “No Incident” Mindset
Organizations can take concrete steps to shift from counting incidents to managing risk:
- Make near‑miss reporting easy
Offer simple digital or paper forms, allow anonymous submissions, and communicate clearly that the goal is learning, not blame. Share examples of how near‑miss reports led to real improvements. - Track and act on leading indicators
Measure hazard reports, behavioral observations, preventative maintenance completion, and corrective actions closed. Review these indicators in management meetings and toolbox talks. - Train supervisors on coaching, not just compliance
Supervisors set the tone. Train them to ask open questions, listen actively, thank people for speaking up, and respond constructively to bad news. - Share stories, not just numbers
Use real stories from your own workplace or your industry where near misses highlighted a risk that, if ignored, could have caused serious harm. Stories connect the dots between “nothing has happened yet” and “it could happen tomorrow if we stop paying attention.” - Regularly review and refresh controls
An incident‑free period should trigger review, not relaxation. Ask: “Have job tasks changed? Are procedures still accurate? Are workers improvising to meet production targets?” Controls must match the real work as done, not the work as imagined.
The safest companies are not the ones that say “we’ve never had an incident.” They are the ones that say, “We know work is risky, we expect surprises, and we are constantly learning from what nearly went wrong so that people go home safe every day.”
References
- U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) – Incident investigations and safety recommendations: https://www.csb.gov
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) – Employer‑reported workplace injuries and illnesses: https://www.bls.gov/iif
