BRAIN-CENTERED HAZARDS: RISKS & REMEDIES

Abstract

Knowing that risk is created by exposure to hazards, all members of the workforce have been enlisted to become “hazard recognizers.” Front-line workers and leaders alike are taught to observe their work environments for physical, technological, and behavioral elements that can cause or contribute to personal injuries and/or organizational accidents. The purpose of hazard identification is to determine the right hierarchy of controls, beginning with elimination of the hazard or substitution of materials and processes. A great deal of progress in personal and process safety has been made through the effective identification and control of these hazards. But what if the potential hazards and associated safety and business risks are housed in the human brain? And, what if these brain-centered hazards are exacerbated by the fact that critical organizational elements—including work environments, technological interfaces, operating procedures, work schedules and even work cultures—are not aligned with how the human brain actually works?