How can we remain situationally aware?

Kevin ReesManaging Director Proactive Safety Leadership

What did these accidents have in common?

Dr Mica Endsley, defined Situational Awareness as ‘The perception of the elements in the environment within time and space, the comprehension of their meaning and the projection of their status in the near future’.

How do we define situational awareness?

The 3-Question Model

Refining the Endsley definition:

“a person’s perception of elements in the environment within a volume of time and space”

Who is Where?

“the comprehension of their meaning”

What are the doing?

“the projection of their status in the near future”

What will they do?

What will they do?

What are they doing?

Who is there?

SA

When failures in Situational Awareness occur, we often hear comments such as :

“I didn’t realise that..”“I didn’t notice that..”“I wasn’t aware that..””I was so busy attending to..”‘We were convinced that..”

When Failures Occur!

The main causes of the Loss of Situational Awareness:

▪ Distraction

▪ Focused Attention

▪ Task Saturation

▪ Complacency

Hazards associated with lack of Situational Awareness

VE

RY

UN

SA

FE

SP

AC

E

Belief

Systems.

Life

Pressures

The posted speed limit is 120 Km/hr the ‘legal’ space

PERFORMANCE

IND

IVID

UA

L B

EN

EF

ITS

Driving 130 Km/hr - the‘Illegal-normal’ space

Driving 140Km/hr –the ‘illegal-

illegal’ space (for almost all of us!)

Perceived

vulnerability

Systemic Migration to Boundaries

ACCIDENT

We are creatures of habit and become ‘Complacent’

Developed by the UK Health and safety Executive, the SLAM Technique consists of four

simple steps:

• STOP Engage your mind before your hands. Look at the task in hand.

• LOOK at your workplace and find the hazards to you and your teammates. Report these

immediately to your supervisor.

• ASSESS the effects that the hazards have on you, the people you work with, equipment,

procedures, pressures and the environment. Ask yourself if you have the knowledge,

training and tools to do the task safely. Do this with your supervisor.

• MANAGE - If you feel unsafe stop working. Tell your supervisor and workmates. Tell your

supervisor what actions you think are necessary to make the situation safe

The SLAM Technique

Case Study – Sohar Aluminium

How do we identify hazards and risks?

▪ Written Risk Assessments – Routine and non routine task

▪ Pre-Start Task Analysis - Before starting any task-stop and think !

▪ Have a Conversation!

▪ Safety Walks

▪ Toolbox Talks

▪ Awareness / Training

Tools to Support Dynamic Hazard Identification

Case Study – DS SmithThe organisation has launched a ‘Leadership in Action’ campaign which includes the follow:• Safety Share• Safety Interactions• Safety Improvement Every Day• Safety Barometer• Take 5- Stop And First Evaluate the Risk• Critical Control Monitoring Plans (CCMP)• SPI/Injury Review• SPI/Injury Follow Up• Senior Leadership Working Menu

Tools to Support Dynamic Hazard Identification