Do you have what it takes to make the safe decision when it counts? You are responsible for your safety, health and wellbeing.
Risk Perception
An organisation’s greatest resource is its people. People can also be its greatest risk.
Our individual differences influence how we perceive our work environment, the tasks at hand, our skills and capabilities. Based on such perceptions, we make decisions on how we are going to behave.
The concept of risk has been invented to help us understand and cope with danger and uncertainty. Our perception of risk, however, is not constant; it varies with both the individual and the context.
There are a number of personal and environmental factors which influence our decision making. It is what we do with that information and perception that makes a difference to whether we put ourselves or someone else at risk.
Remember – just because nothing has gone wrong yet doesn’t mean it never will.
IF IT’S NOT SAFE – DON’T RISK IT
We envisage risk as a result of what we believe to be the likely outcome, the chance of the outcome actually occurring and how concerned we are if it does happen (Slovic, 2000).
How can you make a difference?
Make the decision to be safe.
- Safe Work Practices adopt new practices and planned ways to manage the risk.
- JSA’s use job safety assessments before you start a task. These can help prompt you to think about your environment, knowledge and tools.
- Leadership people leaders play a key role in ensuring goals, targets and motivators are inclusive of safety.
- Hazard Awareness identify hazards and use high-level controls to protect yourself and others from harm.
- Be self-aware you have the power to stop if it is not safe, your perception influences your behaviour, what will you do to make sure you don’t make the wrong decision?
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Looking for more information?
Information sources
www.sia.org.au
www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
Your MEGT Field Officer
Your Health & Safety Rep
Need Immediate Help?
03 9871 6065 – MEGT Safety team
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