Bulletin #4
Mobile Phone Safety
MOBILE PHONE SAFETY You’re four times more likely to crash if you use a mobile phone while driving. Reaction times for drivers using a phone are around 50 percent slower than normal driving. Even careful drivers can be distracted by a call or text – and a split-second lapse in concentration could result in a crash. All of these are known and accepted facts. But far too many workers seem to believe that a mobile phone’s potential impact upon safety stops at the site perimeter.
From machine operator, John Williams
Courtesy of C&D Consultancy
www.demolishdismantle.co.uk
And in an age when everyone from the site operative upwards is expected to be in constant contact, it is a problem that is growing worse. “A lot of slips, trips and falls could be avoided if site workers just put their phones away and looked where they’re going,” says self-employed machine operator John Williams. “They are a vital form of communication, particularly in an emergency situation, but they are also a major distraction.” Mobile phones divert workers attention away from what could be a critical moment. Site managers should set an example and not wander the site babbling self-importantly into their phones. Workers should restrict mobile phone use to during breaks or after shifts in order to avoid accidents. A lack of concentration when it is needed most is what normally results in fatal consequences. By banning or restricting mobile phone use companies will see an improvement in concentration and inevitably productivity. It also will ensure quality of work and perhaps promote team work among workers.
DEMOLITIONNEWS.COM
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