MEM Article: Enhancing Engineering Safety
Why Engineer Safety Matters
Severe rail workforce incidents have risen by 24% since 2021, according to the Office for Rail and Road (ORR), while the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) continues to report ongoing risks across industries such as construction, agriculture, and manufacturing.
In a recent article in Manufacturing and Engineering Magazine (MEM), Dr Stephen Fletcher, Occupational Psychologist and Director at the OPC, emphasised the importance of Non-Technical Skills (NTS) and safety culture in reducing incidents and supporting engineers in high-risk roles.
"The rise in severe incidents and near-misses highlights the need for stronger preventative measures. Improving safety culture and implementing Non-Technical Skills (NTS), combined with robust engineering controls, can help reduce incidents and better support high-risk workers."
Dr Stephen Fletcher, Occupational Psychologist and Director at the OPC
Key NTS for Engineer Safety
In the piece, Dr Fletcher highlighted some key NTS that can enhance engineers’ safety behaviours in high-pressure environments, reducing the likelihood of incidents:
| Risk Anticipation & Time Focus: | Identifying hazards and prioritising tasks to prevent errors. |
| Vigilance & Concentration: | Maintaining focus in high-risk environments. |
| Conscientiousness & Checking: | Thorough verification to prevent mistakes. |
| Rule Adherence | Following procedures to ensure safe operations. |
Assessment Tools for Safety
The article shared some industry-leading tools offered by OPC Assessment, that can be used to identify and develop the key NTS, for example:
- Risk Anticipation & Time Focus Questionnaire (RTQ): Profiles behaviours and attitudes toward risk management and time focus.
- Safe Concentration and Attention Test (SCAAT): A world-leading test to assess concentration and vigilance in high-risk environments.
- Rules Acquisition Aptitude Test (RAAT): Measures the ability to learn and adhere to safety protocols.
Learning from Past Incidents
Through over six-hundred Post-Incident Assessments (PIAs), OPC psychologists have identified recurring NTS gaps, such as lapses in concentration and inadequate checking, as major contributors to safety incidents.
Real-life Impact
The article shares two case studies demonstrating the life-saving role of NTS and the importance of a positive safety culture. In one incident, a lead engineer’s keen risk anticipation prevented a potential tragedy, highlighting the NTS of vigilance and rules adherence. Another case study revealed safety culture gaps in a track engineering organisation, that noted insufficient planning, undue pressure to complete work, and some leadership development needs, stressing the need for a safety-first workplace culture.
Building a Safer Future
The article emphasises the vital role of NTS in improving safety and performance. Despite strong safety measures, rising incidents highlight the need to focus on human factors, integrate NTS, and address safety culture gaps to create safer workplaces for engineering teams.
You can read the full article here.
Interested in enhancing your engineering team’s safety performance? Get in touch with our friendly OPC team, today.