Upstream Solutions: Diving into Cognitive and Confirmation Bias to Reveal Hidden Workplace Hazards

Delve into the role of safety technology in tackling cognitive and confirmation biases, uncovering often overlooked workplace risks and fostering a proactive approach to ensuring a safer work environment.

• By Ashleigh Hourigan
• Sep 12, 2023

Cognitive bias, specifically confirmation bias, can severely impact workplace safety by leading organizations to focus on the wrong areas of risk. Often, companies rely on injury data to determine the primary hazards in their workplace, consequently implementing prevention strategies based on this information. However, this approach may not address the root cause of the problem, as it could be occurring way upstream. By understanding the role of cognitive bias in workplace safety, organizations can adopt a more proactive strategy to address hazards more effectively.

The Malleability of Facts

Workplace information is often ambiguous and incomplete, which can lead to the use of heuristics and the influence of bias. In many cases, this results in the mantra "the facts are the facts" being fundamentally challenged. This is particularly evident when companies believe they have identified the primary risks in the workplace based on injury data. For example, they may assume that a specific part of a manufacturing site is the primary source of hazards because it is where most workers are experiencing back injuries. Consequently, they may implement controls in that area without considering potential upstream factors.

This situation can be compared to the story of villagers who notice people drowning in a river and rush to save them. Instead of taking a proactive approach and investigating why people are falling into the river upstream, they focus on reactive measures, like pulling individuals out of the water. Similarly, organizations that solely rely on injury data to identify hazards are addressing the symptoms rather than the underlying causes of workplace safety issues.

Gradual Onset MSDs and RSI

Gradual onset musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and repetitive strain injuries (RSI) are common workplace injuries that can result from upstream issues. For example, inadequate ergonomics, poor workstation design or insufficient employee training could contribute to these injuries. By addressing these upstream factors, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of MSDs and RSI, resulting in a safer workplace.

One way to address these biases and identify real workplace hazards is by using AI-driven and wearable safety technology. These tools can provide valuable insights into the entire workplace, allowing companies to identify upstream risk factors and implement preventive measures.

How Technology Addresses Cognitive and Confirmation Bias

Wearable technology can help overcome these biases by providing objective, real-time data and insights into workplace conditions and employee behaviors.

Cognitive Bias

Cognitive bias refers to a systematic error in thinking that affects the judgments and decisions people make. It often results from the brain's attempt to simplify information processing, leading to distorted perceptions, inaccurate judgments or illogical interpretations.

The availability heuristic is a type of cognitive bias where people tend to overestimate the likelihood of events based on their ease of recall. In the context of workplace safety, this bias could lead an organization to focus on highly publicized or recent incidents while overlooking more common or widespread risks.

How Wearable Technology Addresses Cognitive Bias

• Wearable technology collects objective data, reducing the reliance on subjective assessments and personal experiences, which can contribute to cognitive biases.

• Immediate feedback and alerts enable organizations to proactively address hazards before they escalate, counteracting cognitive biases that may lead to overlooking or downplaying risks.

• Wearable technology allows for the identification of patterns, trends and correlations in workplace conditions, helping organizations overcome cognitive biases by highlighting previously overlooked factors contributing to safety risks.

Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret and recall information in a way that confirms one's pre-existing beliefs or hypotheses. This bias can lead to a selective focus on information that supports existing opinions while ignoring or dismissing contradictory evidence.

As mentioned earlier, a company may have a preconception that a specific area of its workplace is hazardous due to a few reported incidents. As a result, they may focus solely on information that confirms this belief, ignoring evidence that suggests other areas might also be risky or require attention.

How Wearable Technology Addresses Confirmation Bias

• Wearable technology collects data on a wide range of factors, providing a more accurate and comprehensive picture of workplace conditions and helping organizations avoid selective focus on information that supports their preconceptions.

• By relying on objective, quantifiable data, organizations can counteract the influence of confirmation bias and make more informed decisions about workplace safety.

• Wearable technology promotes a culture of data-driven decision-making and proactive safety measures, encouraging employees and management to remain open to new information and consider alternative perspectives.