The importance of mindfulness in the workplace
It is not enough to know the rules – we must be constantly alert in the workplace so that we can respond to hazards in a timely and efficient manner. Mindfulness is a skill that can be developed to help prevent accidents and make work safer. Let’s see what it means to be mindful in practice and what goals our company has set for improving workplace safety by 2026.
Mindfulness as a term in work safety first appeared in the ISO 45001 Management System Standard, and at first it was difficult to understand what was meant by this word. This section of the standard stipulates that employees must be informed, particularly with regard to workplace risks, about the circumstances and prevention of accidents, and workplace health and safety policies and objectives. Employees can obtain information on all of these topics through training.
However, awareness is not about education, but about applying the information we have learned and experienced and the feelings we have felt. When performing a dangerous work process, we need to know at which points we need to act according to what we have learned, otherwise an accident will occur. Being present means that we must be alert to ourselves and our environment, because only then can we respond to dangerous situations in a timely and appropriate manner. We need to be aware of our weaknesses and strengths, i.e., what we can do easily with less attention and what we need to focus on more in order to work safely. Each activity requires a different level of awareness, which can be developed over time. Take driving, for example, and how much you have to pay attention to it when you first start out: external information, obeying the rules, and even coordinating your movements to handle the vehicle properly. At this point, our attention is still narrowed to a specific task, and we are unable to perceive our environment in a broad, general way. Over time, we develop the ability to drive defensively: we are more aware of our surroundings on the road and react to dangers before an accident occurs. By observing the reactions and driving styles of other drivers on the road, we can more easily adapt to traffic conditions and, by recognizing potential hazards, warn ourselves and others in time to avoid accidents. We must be similarly alert in the workplace, as our workplace, like the road, is a dangerous environment.
An integral part of conscious presence is controlling our emotions and dealing with stressful situations appropriately. When we are in a heightened state of nervousness, our attention and field of vision narrow, so we have much less information to assess and deal with situations appropriately. When we are irritated or angry, we act on our emotions and are likely to make bad decisions and easily get hurt due to excessive exertion. Surely many of us can list examples of this happening to themselves. In hindsight, everyone regrets it… We need to recognize the cause of emotional tension, pause for a moment, think through the situation, and deal with it consciously.
It is very difficult to separate what happens at work from what happens in our private lives, but we need to put in place a “switch” or “gateway.” Personal problems cannot be brought into the workplace because they distract attention and alertness from safe work practices. Similarly, workplace stress should not be “taken home” because it distracts from relaxation, which is an essential basis for alertness.
During accident investigations, injured persons almost always say things like, “Yes, I know the relevant rules…”, “Yes, I know I should have worn cut-resistant gloves…”, “Yes, I should have switched the machine from automatic to manual mode, and then it wouldn’t have started…” etc. So there is no problem with education and knowledge, but these are worthless if we do not apply them. There is no alternative to accident prevention – nothing could be more important than this.
Let us be truly present at our workplace and be sufficiently alert to the dangers! Let us carry out our work consciously and with foresight, taking care of our own safety and that of our environment!
Legyünk igazán jelen a munkahelyünkön, és tekintsünk kellő éberséggel a veszélyekre! Végezzük tudatosan és előrelátóan a munkánkat, ügyelve saját magunk és a környezetünk biztonságára!