We often think of complacency as being constant in time. You are either complacent or you are not. But situational complacency exists. As the situation changes, an attitude that wasn’t complacent for the old conditions can be complacent for the new conditions.
Experienced people might make quick safety checks because they have learned the job and know what to look for. They don’t make those beginner mistakes — at least not when they are fresh. And that’s the catch.
They don’t consider themselves complacent because they evaluate their safety readiness during their normal state of alertness. The safety checks they do are sufficient for their normal mental state and energy level. What they don’t know is those same checks are insufficient when they are fatigued.
Consider two rock climbers, for examples. On a particular April day, they use the same rope, harness, and other safety gear twenty three times in a row. There’s no doubt this gear is safe, right? On the twenty fourth time, they mindlessly go through the usual checks because they are fatigued from all of that climbing. They miss a few things they easily would have caught earlier in the day. On the twenty fourth time, they are climbing with a rope that got cut on a rock, a harness that isn’t properly cinched, and a knot that is incorrectly tied. What do you think will happen on this final climb of the day, and why do you think it will be the final climb of the day?
A principle this example illustrates for electrical work is that when you are fatigued, you need a different approach from when you are not fatigued. After walking and standing on cement all day while making a mind-numbing number of connections, would you be fatigued? What about halfway through a day spent climbing up and down ladders? How about that lockout/tagout you are performing in your role as a maintenance electrician after being run ragged with trouble calls for the preceding six hours?
You have to recognize that your mental acuity and your ability to spot problems are impaired as fatigue sets in. What is not complacent during your normal state might be very complacent in your diminished state. And you have to account for this, adapting your safety practices for the change in circumstances.
How can you tell when you are too fatigued for safety as normal? When you’ve completed a safety check, ask yourself what you just did. Can you remember the details and picture what you just did? If not, you are too fatigued for normal safety practices. Begin adapting.
What are some ways you can adapt?
- Never consider a cursory safety check to be acceptable. If it went too fast, do it over.
- When you feel tired, do a given safety check forwards then do it backwards. For example, if you finish a tool count then recount the tools going in the opposite order.
- Break things down into shorter series of steps. For example, rather than go through a given lockout/tagout from start to finish, do the first segment (e.g., identify the supply breaker) then ask your partner to check your work for accuracy. Then proceed to the next series (e.g., affix locks and tags), and repeat the accuracy check.
- Reduce the fatigue itself. Many people find taking a few deep breaths or going for a short walk can clear their head.
It is more natural when you are fatigued to simply push through things so you can complete the work and go home. The problem is if you do that, you increase situational complacency and decrease the likelihood you will go home. Slow it down and get it right. There’s no do over in the event of an arc blast.
