Stress as a Root Cause
It seems you can’t go anywhere in Alberta these days without the economic downturn and future forecast of doom without being the primary topic of conversation. It’s not just the energy sector that is suffering – the cuts are widespread and affecting the entire country. It is difficult to maintain any kind of a positive attitude.
We all have stressors in our lives on a day-to-day basis – trouble with children, illness of a loved one, normal deadlines and life pressures. Now let’s say you work for a Company and rumours have been abounding about closures, cut-backs, pay cuts, and lay-offs. You have seen a number of your co-workers let go. You may have just taken a significant pay cut in order to retain your job. Maybe the people that you work with are facing their own problems and every day starts with yelling, threats, or just that quiet uneasiness. What happens when you are sent out into the field to do a safety-critical? What is on your mind – the task or all of your worries and problems?
In speaking to safety professionals over the last few months, I’ve heard many of them comment on the steady rise in “stupid mistakes” and incidents. “Those guys know better.” “What were they thinking?” Well yes those guys did know better…what were they thinking? How am I going to survive this?
One of the first rules of safety is to protect the health and safety of yourself and others. Today I would like you to be mindful of your own and other’s well-being. Are you or your co-workers distracted? Is someone suffering from significant challenges in their life? STOP – THINK – PROTECT YOURSELVES. Use the buddy system. Learn to recognize the signs of stress. If you are a person in a position of authority, i.e. manager or supervisor, start a dialogue with your workers. Keep them informed with “real” information – not the rumours that travel along the pipeline.
When investigating incidents, be sure to examine the prevailing company culture. Let’s help each other to get through this safe and alive.
