One of the best safety tools in industrial construction is the Field Level Risk Assessment (FLRA) or Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) tool, which encourages people to stop and think about the risks associated with a task, greatly reducing frequency and severity of injuries.

You may have completed a particular task thousands of times, and believe you can do it with your eyes closed. But usually, the task itself isn’t what causes an accident. It’s typically something you don’t anticipate. You may not see the debris in front of the tool you were going to use, notice that someone has placed an object on the part you were about to pick up, or realize how heavy a piece was that you were asked to carry.

Simply take a four-second "reset" before starting a new, yet familiar, task. This act of refocusing has been shown to reduce the probability of an injury incident by more than 90 percent.

When getting into a forklift, take a quick look at your surroundings. Change your thinking from where you are going, to focusing on the area, road conditions, and other vehicles around you. "Reset" your frame of mind, and by getting in this habit, you will significantly reduce your chances of injury.

Originally introduced on the Canadian National Railway project, this tool was part of a strategy to reduce the number of very serious incidents, including amputations. They found employees knew the rules and procedures to do the job without getting injured but simply weren’t focused. Even well-rested employees were getting caught up in daily routines and found themselves daydreaming or thinking about other things.

So take a few seconds and try the four-second reset. I believe this is one very effective method to prevent injury on and off the job.

Information via Safety Toolbox Talks.