You’ve probably heard the phrase “Get your brain in the game.” Coaches and supervisors alike want the people around them to have their minds on what’s going on, whether it’s an actual game or the task at hand.

When it comes to safety, far too often workers, supervisors, and managers put up barriers to safety and they don’t even realize it. Yet, adopting an approach of readiness will help overcome, and even remove, many of the obstacles we have in our minds.

Identifying the Mental Roadblocks to Safety
Carefully consider these common mental roadblocks to safety. These barriers are found in employees’ minds regardless of their levels in the organization. You may find that you recognize them in yourself.
Barrier 1. “Accidents are just going to happen.”
Barrier 2. “It’s not going to happen to me.”
Barrier 3. "I have enough experience or skill to take shortcuts.”
Barrier 4. “I’ll do it just this once.”
Barrier 5. “Zero is impossible.”

These barriers pop up at different times, for different reasons. We’ll often notice them in a safety meeting where we think that we’ve already heard about the topic so many times, we just don’t want to hear it again. Or you may notice a barrier pop up when you’re in a hurry.

Sometimes a barrier is a permanent one; it can be so ingrained in our thinking that we don’t even recognize it. That’s why it’s important to understand the concept of mental readiness.

Five Tips to Maintain Your Personal Safety Readiness
Tip 1. Take advantage of any and all training applicable to your job. If you believe you are lacking in some pertinent skills related to your job or think you are overdue for refresher training on safety techniques, discuss this with your leader and find a way to get the training you need.

Tip 2. Examine your own mental barriers to safety. Pay attention to what you are thinking about during the next safety meeting you attend. Are you fully present or just drifting off with your thoughts? Discipline yourself to actively consider the information presented for application to your own work.

Tip 3. Pay attention to the mental barriers others demonstrate. As you go about your work, whether you’re a supervisor or an individual contributor on the job, listen to the barriers that others have. Take time to discuss these barriers before the job starts, or stop a job in progress if you observe obstacles to safety.

Tip 4. Encourage your work group to openly engage in mental readiness for safety. When a work team is mentally ready through training and pre-job briefings, the entire organization increases its potential for zero injuries. Sometimes all it takes is some encouragement from within a team to get members involved in the safety process.

Tip 5. Make time for mental readiness. If you are in a position of authority, ensure that employees have time for training and refreshers on safe work practices and technical skills.

Eliminate the Barriers to Safety by Increasing Your Mental Readiness
By understanding that mental readiness can bring down the barriers to a zero-injury culture, you’re on your way to creating a workplace where nobody gets hurt. Stay aware of the mental barriers in your own mind and talk about barriers with your work group; you’ll find that everyone will stay focused and alert. That’s something we can all live with.