(41d) Fading Lessons: Combating Memory Loss in the Multigenerational Workplace

Learning from past incidents helps organizations identify what went wrong and implement changes to avoid similar issues in the future. In theory, by examining the root causes of previous accidents or near-misses, companies can prevent recurrences and improve their workplace safety.

With a diverse workforce spanning four generations, the challenge today lies in effectively passing this invaluable knowledge forward. Pivotal incidents from the 1970s and 1980s, which shaped the Baby Boomer generation and spurred the creation of many of today's safety regulations, are at risk of being forgotten by the younger generations. If we cannot educate these generations, they can’t learn what they don’t know existed.

This paper will get to the heart of why preserving knowledge and lessons from these incidents is important and needs to be sustained. Drawing on thirty years of expertise in the chemical process industry, personal experiences will be shared, and in light of those, key historical incidents that are fading from collective memory will be highlighted. Finally, we’ll offer practical insight to help bridge generational learning gaps.