It's a myth! It's a myth that employees are bad at hazard reporting. They are actually good safety observers. Having a diversity of watchful eyes, including regular workers, increases workplace safety. / / A safety observer program is critical in getting widespread employee involvement to reduce injuries. Company managers can start their own, or follow OSHA's VPP, the Voluntary Protection Program. / / For any program to succeed, employees have to know how to report, feel comfortable reporting, and not be punished for reporting. They should also be notified of safety changes and improvements. / / Incoming data must be accurately tracked to chart continuous improvement. In a new program, managers should be aware of a spike in hazard reporting due to the addition of more observers.