Situational Awareness

One of the most common reasons injuries happen in the workplace is because employees lose sight of situational awareness, meaning not knowing what is around them and if any hazards or potential hazards exist. This can easily happen while performing a routine task, working under pressure or against a deadline, talking with others or directing attention elsewhere.

Your Role in Enhancing Situational Awareness

If you can remember “SLAM”, you are already on your way to increasing your own situational awareness. SLAM stands for “Stop, Look, Assess, Manage” and is a helpful tool to be mindful of hazards that may be present at work. What does that mean?

• Stop: Engage your mind before your hands. Focus on the current task, even if it has become routine.
• Look at your workspace for hazards or issues that could become hazards. If any are identified, immediately report the finding(s) to your supervisor.
• Assess the effects of the hazard for yourself, others, the workplace and equipment. Alongside your crew chief or supervisor, determine if the task can be completed safely.
• Manage with effective controls and advise others. If you feel there is a safety concern, stop working and inform your coworkers and supervisor of the condition.

Applying this approach will not only make the workplace safer for you but for those around you, too. Be sure to check out the other information included in this section of the website for more tips about increasing safety within AO.

Hard plastic SLAM cards that can be attached to a lanyard are available for any AO employee who would like one. With the SLAM phrase on one side and a QR code to relevant information on the AO Intranet on the other, this serves as a reminder and resource to keep safety at the forefront while on the job. Contact Mike Silanskis at msilansk@purdue.edu to request a card. 

Reach out Jennifer Kraus, specialist and trainer in Environmental Health and Safety, at jakraus@purdue.edu if you would like to request SLAM training.