In some businesses, there is no room for taking a relaxed approach. A great deal can depend on employees being on the ball every minute of the day, and it’s essential for bosses to make sure that staff don’t get distracted. Usually this is obvious to anyone embarking on such a career path, but some people don’t take it seriously enough, and others lose their way when their circumstances change. A good employer must watch out for both and take the necessary action to avoid disaster.
Operating vehicles
So many of us drive every day that it’s easy to become relaxed about the rules, but accidents can have horrific consequences, and when operating vehicles at work, there’s an additional layer of responsibility. This is why passenger airlines have some of the most stringent working drug and alcohol testing regimes in the world, but sobriety and focus is also vital for drivers of everything from buses to taxis to forklift trucks. Something which too many workers overlook is that this also means not drinking too much the night before a shift.
Working with machinery
Accidents can happen all too easily in factory environments where heavy machinery is in operation, or even with lighter equipment such as sewing machines. As long as employees stick to their training and protocols, the risk is low, but anything which interferes with concentration can be dangerous, from hangovers to insomnia. It’s important for employers to keep a close eye on the physical and mental health of workers and to take a supportive approach to problems so that workers are not nervous about reporting issues.
Handling emergencies
We all depend on members of the emergency services to keep us safe, but the distressing things which they routinely encounter at work mean that they have high rates of mental illness which can interfere with concentration, and high rates of substance abuse stemming from their efforts to cope, facilitated by the ease with which many of them can access drugs. Real support is needed to help them deal with trauma in healthy ways and take leave from work where necessary.
Avoiding costly errors
Compared to these things, the importance of alertness and diligence in areas such as accountancy and law might seem trivial, but it’s important to bear in mind that mistakes in such work can also put lives at risk – just less directly. In some professions, people’s livelihoods are at stake, and errors can lead to injustices which take a long time to rectify – if it’s possible at all. This can do serious psychological harm, so it’s vital that employees understand that their work affects real people, not just faceless entities.
When running an organisation in an area like this, it’s important that one be prepared to put the duty to keep people safe above friendship and the desire to be non-confrontational. This isn’t always easy, but if you approach it with honesty and keep the wellbeing of all your workers in mind, you’ll find that it’s something which most of them respect.
