Avoiding Mistakes Sounds Obvious — But There’s More to It
Everyone wants to avoid errors. They slow us down, cost money, and in many cases, cause accidents and harm. But unintentional errors don’t just happen — they follow a chain reaction, and it usually starts with a person’s internal state.
If we want to reduce human error, we must begin at the very start of that chain: the moment a shift in our mental or physical state puts us at greater risk.
Why Serious Injuries Still Happen in “Low-Risk” Settings
Most workplace safety systems focus on obvious hazards. Traditional risk assessments are built around visible dangers linked to specific tasks. That’s a good starting point, but it misses a critical element: human factors.
Even in a low-risk environment, injuries can still occur. Why? Because how someone feels — physically or emotionally — has a huge impact on their likelihood of making a mistake.
Let’s say you’re:
- Frustrated because your holiday request was denied
- Tired after a poor night’s sleep
- Distracted by office politics or family issues
Your focus isn’t on the task anymore. That’s when mistakes creep in — often without you even realising it.
From State to Error: A Common Chain Reaction
Here’s how it often plays out:
- You’re in a compromised state — like frustration, fatigue, or rushing.
- You make a mistake — because you’re distracted or off-task.
- You underestimate the hazard — because it’s familiar, routine, or just doesn’t look dangerous.
For example:
- A visible cable on the floor gets overlooked — you trip and break your hip.
- A slick step you’ve walked on 100 times before catches you off guard — you slip.
- A ladder you've climbed every day feels “safe” — until it’s not.
The danger isn’t always in the task. It’s in how you show up to it.
The State-to-Error Pattern in Action
Decades of safety research show that up to 95% of injuries are caused by unintentional errors — things people didn’t mean to do. At the critical moment, their state takes over, and awareness drops.
Here are a few all-too-common examples:
- The photocopier still won’t work. Frustrated, you slam the paper tray — and trap your hand.
- A delivery driver rushes to meet a deadline, doesn’t see a low branch — and clips his mirror.
- An employee yawns while heading to a meeting, momentarily shuts his eyes — and walks into a glass door.
The states behind these errors?
- Frustration
- Rushing
- Fatigue
These states send out physical signals — tension, tiredness, impatience — which we can learn to recognise. But there’s one more state that’s harder to spot.
Complacency: The Invisible Trigger
Complacency, or overconfidence, often flies under the radar. It builds slowly — through routine, habit, and repetition. And when it kicks in, we stop seeing the risk.
The problem? You can’t respond to a state you’re not aware of. And that’s exactly when errors happen.
Errors Can Happen Anytime — and Escalate Quickly
The earlier examples may seem harmless. But in other scenarios, they could have serious consequences.
- That trapped hand might need stitches.
- That driver might hit a cyclist, not just a tree.
- That distracted employee might slip on stairs and suffer a serious fall.
The pattern is the same: a state amplifies the risk, and a simple error causes injury.
The State-to-Error Pattern Is Everywhere
These aren’t unusual stories. They happen in every kind of workplace, across every industry.
And the takeaway is clear: any task can become dangerous — especially when one or more risky states are in play. That’s why understanding the state-to-error pattern is essential for personal safety.
Learn More
If you’d like to dive deeper into this topic, we highly recommend the article
“Complacency: The Silent Killer” by SafeStart founder Larry Wilson a powerful look at how complacency drives critical errors.
Published on 30.07.2019
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