of layoffs,” said Ganschow. “Most people
are not getting hurt on purpose – their
brains are just consumed with processing
other threats.”
When faced with uncertain economic
times or business downturns, prevent this
phenomenon in your organization by proactively
addressing the human response
to the threat by communicating early and
often with employees about what is happening,
the extent of the impact and how
the company will protect them, he adds.
A better path to safety
Eliminating potential hazards wherever
feasible is imperative for any construction
company, of course. However,
no amount of planning can completely
remove all potential risks that come with
the construction industry.
“There will always be some level of
risk associated with the industry,” said
Ganschow. “Companies must consider our
‘humanness’ when designing work areas
and practices.”
To prevent employees from relegating
potentially hazardous tasks to their
“fast brain” subconsciousness, companies
can routinely interrupt those processes
with activities to reinforce the hazards,
the importance of following safety guidelines
and what the employee stands to
gain from doing it right, says Ganschow.
It’s also important to make those interruptions
interesting enough to hold
workers’ attention.
“For example, an employee who works
in close proximity to heavy equipment
may become overly comfortable with the
innate hazards and warning systems,” said
Ganschow. “An effective activity could be
a mid-day break where laborers and operators
talk through the work being performed,
any potential hazards, what could
happen if something goes wrong and what
each of them are to do to mitigate those
possibilities. This makes it personal and
requires conscious ‘slow brain’ thinking,
putting those hazards in the forefront of
the mind.”
It’s important to remember that it’s
impossible to completely overcome
human biology.
“But we can implement cerebral practices
across the organization to combat safety
incidents more holistically,” said Ganschow.
“Focus your safety messages and training
more on the ‘why’ than the ‘what.’”
One example of a messages that focus
on the “why” include: “Because you matter
and we want you go to home safely
to your family.” That’s a much more
powerful message than, “Because it’s a
regulatory requirement.”
Focus on the different S.C.A.R.F.
domains, such as the importance of staying
safe to be there for family, as benefits
instead of threats, says Ganschow.
“When we appeal to S.C.A.R.F. domains,
it elicits a positive emotional response in
the primitive part of our brain,” he said.
“We don’t always realize it, but the feelgood
hormones that are released when
someone shows they care about us shape
our behavior.”
To begin making improvements in your
organization, Ganschow recommends first
educating leadership on the basic concepts
of psychology and safety, and then taking
action to incorporate those concepts into
daily work activities. And the benefits don’t
stop at an improved safety record.
“In my experience, companies that
are intentional and consistent in improving
their safety culture tend to have better
business outcomes, as well,” he said.
“Employees who feel valued and supportive
are more likely to be loyal, creative
and engaged in helping the company
succeed.” t
References
Miller, George A. (1956). The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on
Our Capacity for Processing Information. Psychological Review. 63.
Rock, David. (2008). SCARF: a brain-based model for collaborating with and influencing
others. NeuroLeadershipJournal. 1. www.your-brain-at-work.com/files/NLJ_SCARFUS.pdf
Zeman, Adam. (2001). Consciousness. Brain, Volume 124, Issue 7, July 2001, Pages 1,263–
1,289. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/124.7.1263
SAFETY
antfarmproduction/123RF
A mid-day break
where laborers and
operators talk through
the work being
performed can be an
effective activity
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