PREVENTING DEADLY INTERRUPTIONS AND DISTRACTIONS
thinking as he talked that it would be almost a sacrilege to interrupt him as he worked – and that an interruption would be bound to leave flaws in his work product and possibly endanger him as well . It ’ s one thing to walk up on a colleague with a pen in his hands . But what if he ’ s wielding an electric saw ?
Even if your construction workers are not engaged in artistry , their work does involve prescribed processes that if not followed can lead to mistakes that can in turn pose danger . So guard against being a Safety Bandit yourself , and teach them how to deter others from being Safety Bandits . If you see that they are being interrupted unnecessarily by co-workers or vendors , that ’ s a safety issue you can ’ t ignore . Take steps to create an interruption-free work zone , to the extent possible . That means educating vendors and workers on the danger of interruptions .
But it takes more . It also means teaching workers how to deter their Safety Bandits . Let ’ s face it , asking innocent-intentioned people not to interrupt you is not an intuitive interaction . Your workers need to understand why it matters , what words they can use , what tone works and what does not , and how to make it in the best interest of the other party to let them work uninterruptedly .
Another source of grave danger to work is multi-tasking . When you hear this refrain , “ I have too much to do and not enough time to do it ,” don ’ t ignore it . When workers are pressed to do too much , they end up multi-tasking . By definition they are not focused on any single task . In the office , that creates poor output – mistakes , sloppiness , and so on . On the job site , it creates danger . Point out the dangers of multitasking and make rules about it . No carrying tools up the scaffolding while talking on the phone . No filling out forms in the middle of a drivers shift . Then , show them how , if they eliminate interruptions , they can save so much time that they will no longer have “ too much to do and not enough time to do it .” Ending interruptions saves time . Having more time saves lives .
Think back to your most productive , satisfying work days . More than likely they involved you being able to throw yourself into something you wanted to do without being distracted or interrupted . That is the best environment for your workers , no matter what their jobs consist of .
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