Distractions Near Machinery

Distractions Near Machinery Free Tailgate Safety Meeting Topic

Have you ever seen someone walking down the street using their cell phone?  They always appear to be in their own little world, not paying attention to anything around them.  They bump into other people, trip over things they should have seen, and have been known to get hit by cars.  Most of us see these people and just shake our heads at how foolish they look.  How can anyone be so distracted that they are a hazard to themselves just walking down the street?  The same thing can be said for being distracted in the workplace.

Most workplaces are full of machinery and other objects that are capable of severely injuring you.  A running machine is not going to care that your hand is in a pinch point, or that you accidentally tripped and fell against its point of operation.  Allowing yourself to be distracted by a cell phone around these machines is one of the most foolish things you can do. 

Looking at your phone or talking on it takes up much more of your brain’s ability to concentrate than you realize.  While using your phone your field of vision narrows significantly.  You are less likely to see or even hear things going on around you.  You also stop caring about your surroundings, almost as if your entire reality exists solely within your phone.  All the while the machines of your workplace continue running dangerously close to where you are standing, or God forbid, walking.

We have all tripped over something when we weren’t paying attention.  Imagine doing this right next to a running machine.  What are you going to grab onto when you fall?  Where will your hands end up?  Will you still have your fingers when it is over?  If you had been watching your step and not your phone you could have prevented this, but instead you decided to look just as foolish as that person walking down the street staring at their phone. 

Don’t be that person.  It can save your life, or at least save you some embarrassment if you are lucky.