FEATURE
MINDFULNESS: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE
How can we build our understanding of the importance of wellbeing, mindfulness and focus in preventing injuries and accidents, asks Christina Fry, Industrial Gases EHS Manager at Air Products UK & Ireland.
There is growing awareness and action about the issue of mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, which isn’t before time. The pandemic has brought additional strains on people’s safety and health into sharp relief – more and more of us are stressed, lonely, or even just distracted by thoughts of a far-off holiday. However, what is not yet widely discussed is how closely the degree to which we are ‘present’ or mindful interlinks with performing our work tasks safely. It would be logical to expect a clear relationship between our moods, attention and how safely we operate – and yet, it’s a topic which seems to have slipped under the radar.
Years ago, health and safety was seen as an application of rules and a bit of common sense. Since then, the situation has undoubtedly improved through more proactive campaigns and education about individual and organisational safety culture. It would be wrong to think changes in attitudes to safety are permanent however, or that all safety issues are forever resolved. It would be more accurate to say they’re on a sliding scale, and where we sit on this scale reflects how people are informed, feel engaged and trusted.
First and foremost, human moods are unpredictable and variable. Each of us has times when we feel up, down, relaxed, stressed, delighted or frightened. In my vocabulary ‘mood’ is a short-term state which over time can be referred to as state of mental well-being.
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Different triggers lead each of us to more negative states of mind. Equally, each of us reacts to those changes in mood and recovers our balance differently. This recovery is what is known as resilience.
The reality, however, is that every distraction takes brain capacity away from doing our current task in the best possible way, and more fundamentally, doing them safely. This is true wherever we are and whatever we are doing.
Let’s use a hypothetical example. Commercial drivers getting in and out of their lorry cabs are told they need three points of contact to ensure safety, but slips can still happen. After an injury, there is often a flurry of activity as part of the investigation, whilst the injured person may feel some embarrassment.
Continual reminders to other colleagues of the three- point rule at this time can erode trust, credibility, and influence the mood of the team in a negative way. Collectively, they may be distracted by the perceived criticism rather than focussing their own attention on preventing the next slip, trip or fall. Maintaining a positive and consistent safety message, whilst avoiding a stop-start approach is absolutely central to keeping colleagues engaged and acting safely.
This example also reminds us of the importance of management communication skills – recognising
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