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To: Citizen Zed

This is a classic example of a psychological phenomenon known as accustomization.

Those who work in dangerous settings tend to gradually become accustomized and stop taking the designated safety precautions as seriously as they should. It’s a natural human tendency to stop thinking of hazards we’re around constantly as really dangerous, while new ones freak us out.

This can be seen in the general public blithely jumping in the car to drive to the airport, but then obsessing about the danger of the flight. When by any logical measure the drive to the airport is much more dangerous than the flight itself.

Also people freaking out about trace amounts of “chemicals” in the water supply or in their food, when they have highly dangerous chemicals such as chlorine bleach in their laundry room, not to mention gasoline in their car’s tank.

Big problem in nuclear power plants and other hazardous settings. The only (partial) solution I’m aware of is constant retraining.


9 posted on 07/14/2014 4:17:29 AM PDT by Sherman Logan (Perception wins all the battles. Reality wins all the wars.)
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To: Sherman Logan
The only (partial) solution I’m aware of is constant retraining.

And good management/leadership.

10 posted on 07/14/2014 4:45:48 AM PDT by logi_cal869
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