Why learning from what goes well is more important than what goes wrong
World Health & Safety Day [28 April] naturally draws our attention to the prevention of occupational accidents and disease. It’s a day that focuses our minds on significant hazards and the worst‑case scenarios we work so hard to avoid.
That focus matters. But for me, this day is about more than the avoidance of accidents – it’s about learning, culture, and what we choose to do with our collective experience.
With over 30 years in health and safety, it’s impossible not to reflect on moments I would rather forget. Days when something tragic happened. Days forever followed by a series of ‘what ifs’:What if something had been done differently? What if a control had been stronger, what if a conversation had happened sooner, or a warning sign had been acted on?
Those questions never really disappear. While nothing compares to the pain of those directly involved in a tragic incident and the impact on their families, and friends, the effect on those responsible for keeping people safe is real and lasting. The only way to make sense of it is to learn – properly, honestly, and decisively – and to carry that learning forward so others never experience the same outcomes.
Thankfully, those days are extremely rare. But they are powerful reminders that it’s not enough to assume controls are in place. We need to know they are effective, understand how they can erode, and actively test their resilience. True safety isn’t static. It depends on strong defences, robust systems, and the ability to recover when things don’t go to plan.
But here’s the challenge we don’t talk about often enough.
Far more goes right than goes wrong. Thousands of good decisions are made every day. Tasks are completed safely. Hazards are spotted early. Colleagues speak up and look out for one another.
So the question is: do we learn from that with the same intensity?
Real learning starts with feeling safe to speak up.
A truly safe organisation isn’t defined by the absence of incidents alone. It’s defined by trust, openness, and learning. For people to raise concerns, challenge decisions, or say no when something doesn’t feel right, they must know it’s safe to do so – safe to say, and safe to hear. When people feel empowered to speak up, risks are identified earlier, controls are strengthened, and resilience becomes part of everyday work.
From blame to learning – where safety really lives
Research and experience tell us the same thing: people learn best through recognition, positive reinforcement, and shared examples of good practice – not blame. Blame shuts conversations down. Learning opens them up.
That’s why shifting from a blame culture to a learning organisation is one of the greatest opportunities we have. When we actively look for what good looks like – the right decisions, courageous interventions, and everyday acts of care – we strengthen both our systems and our culture.
Every day is World Health & Safety Day
It’s right to pause and reflect, to remember and honour those affected by workplace incidents. But we must also recognise the thousands of moments that went right – and ask how we can create more of them.
The organisations that lead on safety aren’t those with the thickest policy documents or the lowest numbers. They are the ones that create environments where people feel safe to speak, where learning matters more than blame, and where doing the right thing is seen, recognised, and repeated.
That’s the journey we should all be on – not just today, but every day of the year.
Andrew Hughes
Head of Health & Safety, SES