Change It Up! Tips for Avoiding Workplace Complacency Safety

Change it up!  Tips for Avoiding Workplace Complacency

One of the biggest problems faced in the midst of completing day to day tasks on the job is complacency. People become accustomed to doing things in a certain way or tasks flowing a certain way and grow increasingly unaware of the hazards that may be ever present around them.  With complacency there is a sense of numbness that develops to hazards. This state of mind can affect many things including productivity, quality and safety.

Complacency can be a literal killer on the job. All too often workers do not realize how complacent they have actually become until they have a near miss or close call. Such events tend to jumpstart hearts and refocus proper attention, at least for a little while, to the importance of tasks at hand.

Some tips to curb complacency on the job are:

  • Avoid Routines — Change it up! Repetition can be related to complacency, if possible change up some of the tasks required to add variety to a job
  • Encourage Observation – Take a moment and briefly stop work and observe the actions of other around you as they work, observing others raises one’s own awareness as well as the awareness of co-workers.
  • Correct Behaviors — Mentoring and coaching help personnel identify, and change troubled practices and potential problems