Mistakes and Safety Culture

How Should We Respond to Mistakes?

There was a tragic accident where a driver mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, resulting in multiple casualties. Similar mistakes can also lead to major accidents in the workplace.

A mistake is defined as a type of human error—an unintentional unsafe action caused by carelessness.
The key part of this definition is “unintentional”—an action taken without consciously deciding to do so. In fact, psychological studies suggest that much of human behavior happens in this semi-automatic way, without deliberate thought.

Therefore, to create a safe working environment, organizations must pay attention not only to intentional violations but also to unintentional mistakes. This article looks at how organizations should respond to mistakes from the perspective of safety culture.

Mistakes Do Not Always Lead to Accidents

In the workplace, not every mistake results in an accident.
If nothing happens, it is easy to overlook the mistake without any action. Even when damage occurs, people often dismiss it as “unavoidable” or “just bad luck.”

However, ignoring mistakes regardless of their outcome can make employees believe that the organization does not truly value safety. If such mistakes and attitudes are repeated, they can eventually lead to a major accident.

So, is strict punishment the right solution? Not necessarily.

Of course, taking responsibility for one’s actions at work is important. But one of the basic principles of punishment is “controllability.” Punishment is effective only if the action was within a person’s control. Punishing unintentional mistakes can lead to helplessness or resentment rather than reflection. Worse, if punishment is the only response, employees may feel it is safer to hide mistakes—which can pose a serious threat to organizational safety.

Building a Positive Safety Culture

How then should organizations respond to mistakes?

A positive safety culture means building an organization that genuinely values safety. Such organizations treat even small mistakes as opportunities for learning and improvement.

The first step is to create an atmosphere that accepts the fact that “anyone can make mistakes.”

“Everyone can make mistakes, and the way an organization responds to them has a critical impact on shaping its safety culture.”

For learning to occur, employees must first acknowledge that mistakes have happened. But revealing mistakes at work is not easy. Even without formal punishment, people may fear the judgment of others.

That’s why leaders and managers must sincerely accept that mistakes are inevitable—and employees must believe it. More importantly, organizations should make it clear that sharing mistakes contributes to everyone’s safety. Psychology calls this environment “psychological safety.” This is essential for transforming mistakes into learning opportunities.

Turning Mistakes Into Learning Opportunities

Once psychological safety is established, the next step is to create regular forums where mistakes can be openly shared and discussed. If several employees have experienced similar mistakes, these discussions can help identify solutions to reduce recurrence.

The main causes of mistakes—such as distractions—can arise from the work environment (noise, interruptions), social pressures (tight schedules), or personal factors (fatigue, lack of sleep). By pooling experiences, teams can identify concrete countermeasures.

For example:

Review ways to reduce or eliminate sources of distraction.
Introduce warning lights, signals, or verbal reminders during high-risk tasks.
Adapt solutions to the specific conditions of each workplace through joint problem-solving.

Even if no concrete solution is found, the very act of openly discussing mistakes signals that the organization is committed to safety.

Conclusion

Everyone makes mistakes. What truly matters is how the organization responds.

Rather than dismissing mistakes as “bad luck” or punishing them unconditionally, organizations should build psychological safety—where employees feel free to share mistakes and work together to find preventive solutions.

This approach strengthens the organization’s safety culture. Ultimately, an open and positive environment where mistakes are treated as learning opportunities is the foundation of a safer workplace.