Complacency

Whether you’ve done the same job for the past 20 years or just the past 2 hours, complacency can lead you to a false sense of safety. Being in your comfort zone and having thoughts like “I’ve never had an accident” or “I could do this with my eyes closed” leads to skipped steps, missed hazards and ultimately injury or death. There are few things you can do to lower your risk of growing complacent on the work site.

Tool box talks. These talks aren’t designed to kill a half hour every morning at your employer’s expense. These are designed to keep you aware and remind you of hazards that you see everyday. Make sure you listen and focus. Just because you’ve done the job this way a hundred times, doesn’t mean it’s safe to do so this time. Things change and you need to adapt constantly.

Change the routine. The exact same routine is a key ingredient in complacency. Switch it up! If you can, every now and then, do your afternoon tasks in the morning and do your morning tasks in the afternoon. Even a small change in your routine can help you stay alert.

Observation. Just take 2 minutes out of your day to stop, look around and observe what other workers are doing. This can help you realize what you’re doing! Most sites have observation cards to be filled out daily for this exact reason. If they don’t, take it upon yourself to do so, it’s your safety after all.

Focus. This one’s easier said than done. Take time to do your pre-work inspections, read the safety signs at work, go over instructions. Do what you need to do to stay focused to do the job properly.

Don’t count on things to stay the same, especially with your safety. Make sure you’re alert and focused at all times, because hazards don’t take breaks.