By Jennifer Williams
EHS Program Manager
Take a moment to think about how many times you have completed an injury investigation that leaves you scratching your head and wondering if you should just bubble wrap everything or everyone. You have put controls in place from every corrective action decision tree, yet you still find yourself thinking that there is nothing left to do. Is this simple “common sense” or is it?
Consider the most intelligent person you know - who always makes the correct judgement calls - gets injured in a “common sense” accident. You should take “common sense” out of your mind and replace it with their state of mind. “Common sense” has nothing to do with safety on the job; however, the employee state of mind has EVERYTHING to do with safety on the job.
Distractions in 2020; such as, the unusual conditions surrounding the pandemic, emotionally charged politics, volatile stock markets, dangerous riots, and inequality have everyone’s minds in a different mental state. This can cause employees from all levels of the organization to make poor decisions that can lead to an injury. When your mind is frustrated by the news or distracted by the status of your company, your mind is not focused on the task thus leading to poor decision making and improper planning. So how can we fix this?
Many companies have implemented a Pre-Work Stretching program to reduce ergonomic injuries. Next, let’s add a 5-minute meditation to help your employees control their thoughts and keep their minds focused on the tasks that are ahead for the day. Starting with a clear, focused mind improves attention to details and can assist in reducing work-related incidents by lowering frustrations, removing distraction, and eliminating complacency.