Many of us are waiting for the light to turn green with getting back to our lives during the pandemic. It’s likely to be yellow for a while, so "proceed with caution.” Yet, it may be that some things will not be as they were before. There will be ongoing challenges both publicly and privately. 

Justin Gray wrote about consistency and how important it is to maintain ongoing success. Yet, there is an enemy of consistency – complacency. By definition, self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies. 

It’s always a challenge, and many times a tendency, when things improve after a crisis lets up a bit. Perhaps with a sigh of relief? 

As we get further along the journey of this pandemic, we may find ourselves slipping into some form or degree of complacency. Ron Johnston, Owner and President, says that complacency is a senior form of carelessness. So, what can we do about that? 

First, we need to recognize what complacency is and that it is a factor in maintaining consistency. This includes being mindful of, and attentive to, the signs that we are entering, or are in, the zone of being complacent. For example: 

• Letting up or slacking off on consistently doing a task the right, safe way, e.g., not using safe lifting and handling methods.
• Not wearing PPE consistently, including masks, when needed.
• Overlooking something that could contribute to an incident and injury, e.g., not keeping work areas organized and clean.
• Not consistently using a seat belt.
  
  

It seems to me that we have to remind ourselves every day to do things the right way. The world we live in will always present challenges to do that. 

Method Oriented Safety Thinking® and Seeing Obeying Spacing® apply to meeting the complacency challenge and doing what’s right, which is a core concept. The more we make M.O.S.T. and S.O.S. a way of life, the more they become a part of our doing, thinking, and safety DNA. Then when presented with the challenge to let up, or wander in our thinking, we can “STOP”, defuse the complacency, and proceed safely.