A tired grump is a hazard
Dr Tom Mulholland is an Emergency Department Doctor and GP with over 25 years’ experience in New Zealand. He’s currently a man on a mission, tackling health missions around the world.
For the past two years I have delivered almost 50 workshops on emotional control and health to farmers around the country. When asked, farmers frequently report they believe 80 per cent of workplace accidents are because of workers being stressed, frustrated or angry. This coincides with the science of when our emotions get out of control the rational part of our brain starts to shut down. We lose what is called situational awareness. Think about when you have an argument at home, or when you lose your car keys and how hard it is to find them. How close have you come to having an accident when you are wound up like a coiled spring? Whether it’s at work, or home, or travelling in between, your risk of an accident exponentially increases the more emotionally charged you are. The brain’s executive functions, like memory, planning and concentration are bypassed when you are in flight, freeze and fight mode. As well as physical safety, you may make an error of judgement, which could cost thousands of dollars, and maybe someone else’s life. Most, if not all, of the safety videos I see are made assuming workers are well rested, not hungry or tired, or frustrated. Give someone a chainsaw or an IT program when they are in the zone and there’s no problem. Give someone who is tired and grumpy a chainsaw or an IT program and the risk of harm increases. Give someone a chainsaw who is diabetic, hypertensive or smoking
Whether it's at work or home, or travelling in between, your risk of an accident exponentially increases the more emotionally charged you are.
heavily and it becomes even more dangerous. Having worked for the NZ Forest service before becoming a doctor and measured the health of many forestry workers in recent times, I am not surprised there are so many injuries when you look at their health statistics. I wouldn’t want to be working in a forest next to someone on heavy machinery with uncontrolled diabetes and high blood pressure. It’s a huge risk.
Another high-risk occupation is truck and tanker driving. I feel sorry for drivers who are in tears when tested and asked how much sleep they are not getting. How can you be a safe driver if you go to bed at 10.30pm in your cab and wake at 2am to drive six hours to get a load of logs? While employers and regulators are doing what seems their best to manage this, I don’t think what I have seen is rare, but the tip of the iceberg linking health and wellbeing to safety.
Many years ago, when I started my speaking career, there may have been a few spots on wellbeing at the odd conference. Now, there are conferences focused solely on wellbeing and health and safety. It’s a serious issue costing not just money but lives. The upcoming Employers and Manufacturers’ Health and Wellbeing conference, It’s Time for Action, discusses these issues. It is time for action, before more people are unsafe because they are unhealthy at work.
I have one free registration to the conference, on May 3-4 in Auckland, worth $1500 to give away. To win, email tom@drtomonamission.com and tell me why health and safety is important at your work. Otherwise go to this link, http://ow.ly/IICf309S1zy, enter SST into the code and register for only $950 plus GST.