{"id":133994,"date":"2025-12-13T13:56:37","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T13:56:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ecoonline.com\/?p=133994"},"modified":"2025-12-13T13:56:39","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T13:56:39","slug":"mental-health-and-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecoonline.com\/en-ca\/blog\/mental-health-and-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental health and safety"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t \t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t
\n\n

Mistake and Errors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The human brain is a wonderful thing \u2013 the most spectacular piece of kit in the universe by a country mile. However, it backfires, malfunctions and tires easily. It\u2019s also really easy to distract, even in safety critical situations, as the infamous accident causing \u2018hello boys\u2019 advert of a few years back demonstrated so amusingly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, on a typical day, research studies suggest we\u2019ll be \u2018away with the fairies\u2019 or \u2018in zombie mode\u2019, on average, for five to 10 minutes each hour. This is bad enough for a small team of employees in a van but for organizations that have 10,000 employees worldwide that\u2019s an awful lot of risk mounting up day-by-day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often a company will notice that the accident book contains nothing but \u2018silly, easily avoidable\u2019 accidents and some form of exhortation to \u2018just please pay full attention and take care\u2019 will be made. The trouble is that there is simply a physiology based upper limit to the effectiveness of this tactic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t \t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t
\n
\n \"Mental<\/picture>\n\n \n <\/section>\n\n<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t <\/section>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Soccer and rugby are good illustrations. Professional players can certainly run for 90 or 80 minutes. It’s arguably the referees and crowd that need a break! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In safety we\u2019ve long known that rather than say \u2018pay full attention at all times\u2019 it’s far more effective to say \u201cif you see a trip hazard when you\u2019re bright and alert, stop and clear it away, so that it\u2019s not there to trip over when you come around the corner ten minutes from now\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, the same principle applies to such as communication, dialogue, decision making and project and change management. Minimizing cock-ups needs good habits and tactics dictated by a clear appropriate strategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The perfect world<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This limitation still applies to people who are \u2018still you \u2026 but on a really good day\u2019 as 1,001 supplement adverts have it. You are happy in your relationship, your family are well, you\u2019re healthy personally, you have no money worries, you\u2019re fully trained, good at your job and you enjoy it. You have a suitable level of autonomy (not too little, not too much) and you know where that job fits into the bigger picture so, just like the NASA caretaker who JFK asked \u2018what are you doing today?\u2019 you\u2019ll respond \u201chelping put a man on the moon Mr President<\/g>\u201d \u2013 or some such! And, of course, you\u2019re not so flat out all the time you can\u2019t even catch your breath, let alone reflect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most importantly your direct boss is emotionally intelligent. A pro-active and skilled communicator who gives negative feedback when required without personalizing, generalizing (or breaking any other golden rules) but who always looking for a chance to give positive feedback. Calm and assertive and always \u2018adult to adult\u2019 they are a skilled coach who asks questions to draw out knowledge and to deliver \u2018discovered learning\u2019 moments. They pro-actively ask \u2018what\u2019s key to a good day for you?\u2019 (so that they can build in leeway) or \u2018what do you need from me so that you can work efficiently and safely?\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When something goes wrong, they always first ask \u2018why?\u2019 curiously not jumping to blame but instead have the default of assuming there\u2019s a contextual reason. They often pro-actively ask: \u2018anything slow, inconvenient or uncomfortable about doing this job safely?\u2019 knowing that if there is then it\u2019s just a head count of how many people will be cutting corners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, you work in an empowering supportive culture \u2013 not a blame ridden toxic one. Here clarity of thought isn’t requested, encouraged, wished for or demanded. It’s facilitated.<\/strong><\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In summary, incidents of all types are less likely because people having bad days are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n