Improve Employee Situational Awareness

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Human error is a common cause of preventable work-related injuries and vehicle crashes. When an employer, who recognizes that employees are ultimately responsible for their behavior on the job, finds that the root cause of an incident involves an employee’s poor decision-making, the employer may be frustrated and feel powerless.

Yet, despite these head-scratching incidents, employers must persevere and continue to manage this risk. One way to reduce the risk of human errors is by focusing on improving employee situational awareness.

Situational awareness involves a person’s ability to

  1. Perceive that a hazard exists in the immediate area.
  2. Comprehend the meaning of that hazard.
  3. Project that danger to him or herself (i.e., Will stepping on that ice patch cause me to slip and injure myself?).