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Situational Awareness
Situational Awareness can be technically defined as “the perception of the elements in the environment within a volume of time and space, the comprehension of their meaning and the projection of their status in the near future." Or, to put it in plain everyday English, situational awareness is simply knowing what is going on around us.
Situational awareness is important to everyone. Being aware of your surroundings and aware of what is happening around you is important whether you are in a parking lot walking to your car, in your home, driving, and, especially, when you are at work. Situational awareness is that super power that helps us not only look out for our own safety, but also that of our workmates.
All of us have had near misses when walking around, looking at our cell phone or tablet screen, our clipboard or other things that demand our attention as we go about our duties. Unfortunately, many workers have not had the luxury of a “miss” as they were not paying attention to their surroundings or what was going on around them. The result was an injury, sometimes even a fatality. They were so pre-occupied that they didn’t see or hear the forklift coming around that corner or the stack of racks being pushed into their paths. They failed to notice the slip or trip hazard in front of them or the piece of lumber jutting out into the aisle. In that one instant when they lose their situational awareness, disaster strikes.
Take a moment before beginning a new task to ask yourself, “What hazards are waiting for me out there?” What do I need to be aware of?” Don’t be so wrapped up in your present task that you lose your grasp of what is going on around you. Maintain your situational awareness and recognize that situations can change rapidly. Be mentally prepared to adapt to a new situation at a moment’s notice.
If you have any questions or need additional help please contact our Loss Control Department.
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