Avoiding Complacency
When it comes to safety, complacency is the enemy. It spreads like a disease
from one worker to another.
Contributors of Complacency: repetition, increased skill level, confidence, fatigue, too
many things happening simultaneously, or too few things happening, and even success.
Always remember:
1. Never Take Shortcuts. If you read between the lines of most workplace incidents, you
will often find that the employee was on “autopilot” and stopped paying attention to
what they were doing.
2. Train your brain to think ahead. As you approach a task, think about what you’ll be
working with, what you’ll be doing, where you’ll be going, and what could possibly go
wrong. Incidents occur in the blink of an eye.
3. Adopt Safety in the absence of perceived danger. Adopt safety practices and do them
over and over on a consistent basis until they become automated habits. This will help
to compensate for your mind going off task.
Life happens when you’re making other plans.