There are some advantages to being bald: saving money on haircuts, for example. There are also disadvantages, especially if you go out in the sun without a hat. At the time one thinks nothing of it and it is only the next day, feeling the early morning warm shower impinging on your scalp, that you promise yourself not to be caught out again. Another disadvantage is that when you bang your head for whatever reason, the evidence is on show to the whole world and you find yourself having to describe your clumsiness to all and sundry. This has happened a couple of times: the gash from the tailgate when loading the boot of the car; the small but noticeable v-shaped cut from when the corner of the kitchen cupboard enters your personal space as you straighten up after putting something in the bin. Cooker hoods can inflict similar damage.
Being labelled ‘clumsy’ and ‘careless’ rubs salt in the wound. These epithets may be correct, but the root cause is rushing to get things done and relying on previous assumptions rather than taking the time to assess the actual situation at the time, ie a lack of the situational awareness that is always the key to keeping ourselves safe. It is very easy to observe examples of a lack of situational awareness in everyday life. Witness the number of people who walk along staring at their phones, bumping into people coming the other way, walking into lamp posts and street furniture or stepping out in front of cars.
Driving is a good laboratory for observing the potential and actual impact of the lack of situational awareness: changing lanes without awareness of all the cars in the vicinity; pulling out at junctions in front of traffic; not seeing the cyclist when turning at a junction. All these examples relate to visual cognisance, but when it comes to being fully situationally aware, all the senses need to be engaged. Hearing can provide valuable clues to the surrounding environment and technology can impair this with the predilection for walking, running and cycling while wearing headphones or ear buds. Smell and touch (somatosense) are also key inputs to keeping us safe.
Situational awareness is particularly important at work, especially for non-destructive testing (NDT) operators who can be working in noisy and dirty conditions, in confined spaces, at height, in the presence of hot and pressurised equipment and in radiological areas. It is important not just to focus on hazards in the immediate workspace, but also those from activities in adjacent areas. What may be considered a minor trip or slip hazard can have significant consequences. Conducting situational awareness is not a one-off activity, but a continuous monitoring of what changes may have occurred, even over short periods of time, and pre-empting likely future changes.
The above described my view of situational awareness until I had a ‘cathedral effect’ moment in a recent meeting. Situational awareness is not just applicable to the physical environment, but it is equally important to human and business environments, ie any situation, which is quite obvious really as the clue is in the name! It is about being aware of one’s own situation and wellbeing and making appropriate adjustments or taking action in response to significant concerns. It is about being sensitive towards colleagues’ situations that may be detrimental to themselves and providing or signposting support, which is not particularly easy to do. It is about being situationally aware with respect to the team, the environment it is working in and the contributions and interactions of the members.
Finally, there is situational awareness of the environment in which the business operates, both for maintaining the company’s products and services and for maintaining one’s career. It is essential to be aware of the direction of travel of the market and the profession and to develop the requisite skills, knowledge and technology.
The key to all applications of situational awareness is asking the right questions. It was recently announced that the hit TV series Gavin and Stacey would be coming back for a grand finale with a Christmas special. It could be beneficial to adopt one of its famous catchphrases and regularly ask ourselves: “Oh, what’s occurring?”
Please note that the views expressed in this column are the author’s own personal ramblings for the purpose of encouraging discussion within NDT News. They do not represent the views of Jacobs or BINDT.
Letters can be mailed to The Editor, NDT News, Midsummer House, Riverside Way, Bedford Road, Northampton NN1 5NX, UK. Email: ndtnews@bindt.org or email Bernard McGrath direct at bernard.mcgrath1@jacobs.com
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