Seeing versus Perceiving: What you see isn't always what you get

In many accident cases, the information necessary to successfully avoid the mishap was readily available to the victim who, for some reason, either did not notice or attend to it. Even when critical information is open and obvious, focus on other aspects of the task being performed or the assumption...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Professional safety 2006-06, Vol.51 (6), p.28-34
Main Authors: Curry, David G., Meyer, John E., McKinney, John M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accident Investigation
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:In many accident cases, the information necessary to successfully avoid the mishap was readily available to the victim who, for some reason, either did not notice or attend to it. Even when critical information is open and obvious, focus on other aspects of the task being performed or the assumption that no hazards exist can lead to accidents that reasonable attentiveness could have readily prevented. This article addresses the considerable difference between sensing and actually perceiving potential hazards in the work environment; introduces the concept of inattentional blindness; and presents five case studies involving accidents that could have readily been prevented had the participants been more aware of their environment and adopted less of a "business as usual" mindset. Recommendations regarding increasing awareness of the potential for such accidents are also provided.
ISSN:0099-0027
2163-6176