All accidents have a chain of events that precede them and in this chain there are multiple contributing factors . One of the contributing factors is the human process of thinking , decision-making , and the resulting actions . Becoming more conscious of this is a catalyst for change . To ignite this catalyst a few questions should be asked : What influences our thoughts and thinking to create unsafe situations ? How will we respond under duress or in a moment of crisis ? And what practices and methods can be implemented to better prepare us to make the right decisions in the moment of crisis or duress ?
Safety Conscious as a Business Model By Dave Lester
All accidents have a chain of events that precede them and in this chain there are multiple contributing factors . One of the contributing factors is the human process of thinking , decision-making , and the resulting actions . Becoming more conscious of this is a catalyst for change . To ignite this catalyst a few questions should be asked : What influences our thoughts and thinking to create unsafe situations ? How will we respond under duress or in a moment of crisis ? And what practices and methods can be implemented to better prepare us to make the right decisions in the moment of crisis or duress ?
As individuals , how much do we know about our own mental process and the resulting actions ? Our cognitive function is complex and our thinking is influenced and affected by many things such as stress and bias .
Research shows stress causes changes in chemical makeup of our brain . When we encounter a crisis or are under duress , stress hormones are released leading to diminished cognitive capacity and unexpected behavior . This may contribute to an accident . Most of us have experienced the effects stress has on our ability to think and react . Our thinking becomes narrower but not necessarily focused , and we may hesitate to react . Even simple tasks or decision making can become compromised when stress is introduced . Our industry is known for an attitude of “ the show must go on ” and the compression of time . This attitude and pressure can introduce stress and result in behavior that compromises safety . This pressure causes us to take shortcuts to get a job done . It can lead to poor decision making such as not wearing PPE or following safety protocols to “ satisfy the need ” to immediately resolve an issue and save time or to escape punishment . Many times these shortcuts and attitudes can lead to accidents and injuries . In emergency situations the stress can be crippling causing hesitation in decision making and reaction or all together the inability to make timely decisions or react . Looking back at past crises and accidents it becomes clear stress played a significant role in the outcome .
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