You also may face the same kinds of pressures to relax your safety standards as discussed in the sessions on inspections. there is a common but incorrect school of thought that suggests "these accidents are just a cost of doing business."

Following through on your recommendations can also seem less and less important as time passes without similar accident/incident. When things are going relatively smooth, the balance of concerns is likely to tip from safety to productivity - for you as well as for everyone else. Always remember: the savings achieved by cutting safety corners are phantom savings. Even if there isn't another incident, we know from research that corner-cutting is habit-forming. The result is increased costs in wear and tear and in other apparently unrelated areas.

That shift in priority is understandable, but it is a danger you need to guard against, just as you guard against your crew's temptation to take long breaks or quit ten minutes early. As a supervisor, your responsibility is to see that work get's done on time, which means without delays of accident/incidents. Meeting that goal requires that you remain constantly aware of safety issues and do everything reasonably possible to maintain high safety standards throughout your worksite. Investigations are part of that effort - an important part, if they lead to sound improvements that are maintained over the long term.