Lack of awareness issues are the leading cause of injury on many job sites.  What tactics are you using to keep your workers focused and mindful on the job?

To help business owners reduce the number of injuries on the job and increase mindfulness, we asked CEOs and business professionals this question for their best strategies. From working with a partner to encouraging healthy practices there are several strategies that may help you provide employees with tactics to be more mindful and focused on the job.

Here are nine tactics to help keep workers more focused and mindful:

• Assess Environment
• Encourage Health Practices
• Set Daily Priorities 
• Get Plenty of Rests
• Conduct Update Meetings
• Give Proper Training
• Work with a Partner
• Ensure Proper Signs are Placed
• Provide Frequent Breaks

Assess Environment

Being mindful on the job and keeping employees safe, especially around heavy machinery or appliances, is of utmost importance. One thing we do, and others can do, is to make sure you can assess what a safe environment to work in. Make sure that you are noting any hazardous conditions prior to any work starts. While we understand that in some ways time is money, time is also an important factor in safety. Making sure that people are taking enough breaks to stay alert on the job to assess those hazards and to correctly handle their job tasks is critical.

Alex Belladorsi, Appliance Technician

Encourage Healthy Practices 

We have a team of health care providers made up of Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, and physicians at MATClinics. We also have mental health professionals who provide counseling to our patients as part of our recovery support services. Our industry can certainly have stressful situations, as we help patients recover from substance addiction through Medication Assisted Treatment. In our line of work, we like to stay aware of the well-being of our team's physical and mental health and encourage healthy habits in our employee's daily life, such as regular exercise and mindfulness practice.

Dan Reck, MATClinics

Set Daily Priorities

In our line of work, being mindful isn’t a matter of life and death, but it does affect work performance. We bring a healthy dose of mindful awareness into our day to day by first, talking about it, and secondly, blocking time for specific outcomes. This helps us all stay focused on what’s in front of us and putting out our best efforts. One specific tactic is our daily standups where we recap our last 24 hours and set priorities for the next 24. This has been a game-changer for focus and staying in the present moment. 

Jenn Christie, Markitors

Get Plenty of Rest 

Team members of all types need rest and recovery time. The human system isn't made for endless hours of focused work. Providing small breaks and longer periods to rest, recharge, and replenish are vital to any operation. Organizations who rethink how, where, and when work happens to align with how humans function best tend to see greater productivity, fewer errors, greater safety records, etc.

Colin McLetchie, Five Ways Forward, LLC

Conduct Update Meetings

In the healthcare industry, new protocols are always coming up. To keep my teams safe from injury, I hold monthly clinics to go over skills and new regulations. It may seem like a lot for professionals, but these keep both doctors and patients safe. We also hold mini-competitions to test skills as well, this helps with morale and keeps things more fun.

Kiran Gollakota, Waltham Clinic

Give Proper Training

Training! As a moving company hiring undergraduate students, we prioritize making sure our employees are ready to go and are physically able enough to help clients with their move. Also having a supervisor or experienced member on the team is always crucial.

Tom Mumford, Undergrads

Work with a Partner 

We keep employees focused on safety by holding them accountable for holding one another accountable. We require certain tasks, such as using a ladder or climbing around on a roof, to be performed by two employees. They are required to make certain that all safety protocols are followed by one another. In the case that it isn’t, both parties are held accountable. This partner process has greatly increased our safety in recent years.

Ralph Severson, Flooring Masters

Ensure Proper Signs are Placed

Lack of awareness can cause injury on a job site. Here are actionable tips employers can follow to prevent injuries. First, put signs everywhere alerting workers they are in a potentially dangerous area. In addition, if the floor is wet, put up cones. This ensures they are concentrating on what they are doing and where they are going. Next, during employee meetings, make employees aware of potential problems so people can be cognizant and not take the risks for granted.

Janice Wald, Mostly Blogging Academy

Provide Frequent Breaks 

When workers are fatigued, they're more likely to let things slip by and lose their focus. This is harmful to their own safety and that of everyone else on the job site. To bring your workforce back into moments of mindfulness, ensure that they get enough rest in between strenuous tasks. This can be anything from taking a short walk or maybe even a power nap if the time permits. Aside from this ensure that there are timely breaks for meals too.

Riley Beam, Douglas R. Beam, P.A.