PSYCHIC FACTORS – HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

Happy New Year.

We resume our editorial, with the first contribution of 2020.

Accidents at work are not decreasing and are more or less stable.

Reflections, proposals, studies, rules, training, commissions upon commissions. 

Everything is really being done now.

This time let's just try to give some food for thought by taking help from SUVA.

Given some of the injuries we find ourselves analysing, the most common phrase we hear from the people interviewed is:

“But how is it possible that he didn't realize what he was doing?”

This, unfortunately, is an answer that we will never have with absolute certainty.

In 26 years of this profession I have never seen an intelligent injury, but there are many elements that contribute to the event.

Below are some points to analyze and ideas:

• Technical and organizational safety measures make it possible to avoid numerous accidents;
• If an injury nevertheless occurs, the cause often lies in human behavior;
• To act in compliance with safety, you need to know the risks;
• This awareness is reduced in the presence of factors such as stress, distraction, tiredness, haste, use of alcohol and drugs.

Cause of injury: the human factor

The improvement of technical and organizational safety measures means that the human factor increasingly represents the triggering cause of accidents.

Workers, in carrying out some activities, are subjected to excessive physical, intellectual and psychological stress. 

Factors such as stress, distraction, sleep disturbances, haste, tiredness, use of alcohol and drugs they can increase the likelihood of errors and, therefore, injuries.

Therefore, not all causes are determined by the workplace or activity.

Prevention measures act specifically on human behavior and therefore help reduce the risk of injury.

However, none of them can be effective if the behavior is not conscious.

In addition to having all sensory organs intact and paying attention, correct assessment of dangers and quick reaction times are essential to prevent injuries.

Surgeries

Motivate workers to behave safely.

The perception of risks is subjective and depends greatly on everyone's experiences and motivations. 

To incentivize workers to behave safely, certain conditions are needed:

• knowledge of dangers;
• recognition of one's vulnerability;
• understanding the benefits of safe behavior;
• role models (people who set a good example and demand safe behavior from others);
• ability (knowing what to do and how to intervene.

If workers do not adopt safe behavior, it means that one or more of the conditions indicated above are missing. 

It is important that the superior or the safety officer precisely analyzes the reasons behind unsafe behavior and adopts the necessary countermeasures.

Source https://www.suva.ch/it-ch/prevenzione/temi-sostanziali/fattori-psichici-comportamento-umano