Spatial awareness training

Spatial Awareness

SPATIAL AWARENESS

This is an issue that is affecting our employees, your colleagues.

Many of our incidents are directly related to spatial awareness.

A comprehensive risk assessment and a soundawareness of the working environment around us,should be all that we need to ensure that thesetypes of injuries are preventable.

Fabricom Spatial Awareness NESHEP 3

A number of your work colleagues have sustained injuries due to incidents related to spatial awareness. To put this into context, here are a just a few examples:


Spatial awareness is, very simply, our ability to createan organised understanding of the environment aroundus, while also recognising our body’s position within thisenvironment.

Without this awareness we would not be able to performeven the simplest of tasks – such as climbing the stairs orcrossing the road safely without incident.

Deficiencies in spatial awareness can have a direct impact on our safety, all it takes is a misplaced foot or hand! taking your eye off the job for you to lose contact or sight of the environment around you.

Spatial awareness is therefore a key component in preserving our safety and wellbeing.


WHAT CAN WE DO?

Be sense-able. Our senses ensure that we receive and process accurate information about the environment around us.

This helps us to function safely when completing day-to-day activities.

If our senses are impaired or obscured in any way, this can directly impact our accuracy with regards to spatial awareness.

There are some simple steps that you can take to maintain spatial awareness and avoid unnecessary injury or harm.


Our ears have two functions – hearing and balance.The ear contains three canals that act like spirit levels in our brains. When we move our heads, fluid is disturbed which tells our brains what direction, speed and distance the head has moved.

We’ve all experienced this at some point in our lives, whether it be dizziness after standing up too quickly - trying to walk after getting off of a moving treadmill or suffering from motion sickness when travelling on rough seas.

Even subtle movements can be enough to challenge our body’s balance system and cause errors of judgement with regards to spatial awareness.


There are a number of factors that can influence our balance:

PPE – Poorly fitted ear plugs have the potential to affect your balance. Take time to fit these correctly and with care.

Medication – whether it’s prescribed or over-the-counter, all medication should be reported to your site Supervisor / line Manager.

Medical conditions – Always inform your line Manager if there has been any change to your health, even if this has occurred outside of work the environment, as some medical conditions and medications can affect your balance.

Drugs and alcohol – We all operate a strict no drugs or alcohol policy in the workplace. If you suspect that someone has breached this, you must report this to your supervisor immediately.


Touch allows us to sense movement within our environment.

It also helps us to recognise where parts of our body are without having to look.

Receptors in our joints, muscles and ligaments automatically sense pressure or stretch and they pass this information on to our brain.

This helps us to move accurately and maintain stability throughout the body.


Mitigate against trip hazards - by holding handrails on stairways, and always keep an eye on where you are placing your feet - especially when going up and down steps and ladders. Always maintain good housekeeping so that the risk of trip hazards are kept to a minimum.

Always take one step at a time - when ascending and descending steps and ladders – twisted ankles from slips and trips are common accidents that can be avoided by staying alert and taking your time. Where possible watch where you are placing your feet and never rush.

Uneven walkways - gratings, ladders and hidden trip hazards are common features in many workplaces. Make sure you keep your eyes open for hazards.

Avoid distractions from colleagues whilst operating machinery and while moving around the workplace.


It’s easy to appreciate the importance of vision to our balance

we only have to close our eyes and we will feel an immediate change in our ability to stay upright.

Our eyes tell us how our body is orientated in its environment; they assist the touch receptors located in the joints and muscles which helps us to maintain our balance.

Even a familiar environment can become challenging if our vision is impaired.


Walk - through your work site prior to commencing tasks, so that you can identify and remove any potential hazards.

Keep - your work area clear and tidy at all times. Good housekeeping is one of your best defences against slips, trips and falls.

Take - extra care - when working in poorly lit areas or direct sunlight. Extremes in lighting can obscure and challenge your perception of the environment around you.

PPE - is vital for your protection, but be aware that it can, at times, obscure your field of vision. Take time to ensure that your safety glasses are clean, and familiarise yourself with your work environment to prevent bumps and trips.

Don’t - take your eye off the job. Watch where you place your hands and feet and avoid distractions.


PPE plays a vital role as your last line of defence. However, it is worth taking extra care when working in an environment where you are wearing full PPE.

As any change to your senses may affect your ability to accurately interpret the environment around you.

Although the benefits of PPE considerably outweigh the potential risks that it poses to spatial awareness.

We must be aware that PPE has the potential to influence sensory information from the environment around us.

It is imperative that we use the correct PPE and wear correctly.


Staying alert and using the body’s senses to identify hazards is one of the most effective risk assessments that we can adopt in order to keep ourselves safe.

Using this sense-able approach and keeping your eye on the jobis all it takes to prevent most spatial awareness incidents from occurring.

A high proportion of slips, trips and falls occur when we’re moving around from one place to another on site, or whilst we’re relaxing.

This could be because we are at increased risk of complacency to common hazards when we’re relaxing or moving around.

So our message is; this campaign is as relevant to your personal life as it is to your working day.

Switch on while you’re switched off and let’s improve safety, both personal and work-related together!

One of the biggest risks we face in the workplace is complacency.


Thank You For your Attention Any Questions

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Spatial awareness training