The Human Element to Health & Safety in a Workplace!

Our safety expert Alex Baker talks us through how human psychology plays an important role in health and safety in the a workplace.

Human psychology plays a significant role in health and safety in the workplace. Understanding how people think, feel, and behave can help employers create a safe and healthy work environment that is more likely to be followed by employees.

One aspect of human psychology that is important for health and safety is motivation. Employees who are motivated to work safely are more likely to follow safety procedures and to report hazards and unsafe conditions. Employers can increase motivation by creating a positive safety culture, providing clear expectations and feedback, and by giving employees a sense of control over their own safety.

Another aspect of human psychology that is important for health and safety is risk perception. People tend to overestimate the likelihood of rare events and underestimate the likelihood of common events. Employers can use this understanding to help employees to understand the risks associated with specific tasks and to take appropriate precautions.

Additionally, social influences can also play a role in human behaviour in the workplace. People tend to conform to the behaviours and attitudes of the group they belong to, so creating a culture of safety in the workplace can help to encourage employees to adopt safe behaviours.

Another key factor is human cognitive biases, such as normalization of deviance, affect bias, etc that can lead to risky behaviours and decision making. Employers can use training and other tools to help employees to recognize and overcome these biases.

Overall, understanding human psychology and how it relates to health and safety in the workplace can help employers to create a safer and healthier work environment that is more likely to be followed by employees.

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A bit about Alex Baker. Alex is the National Business Development Manager at Spectrum Industrial working within the Oil & Gas, Energy, Wind Farming, Manufacturing, Petrochemical and Quarrying sectors as a specialist in Lockout Tagout, Working at Heights, Critical Safety and Safety Sign Communications.