In this 10 part series of Reducing Risk Tolerance we will explore each of the ten factors that influence risk rolerance and provide more details about each.  When taken together, this series should provide a more comprehensive review of the factors that influence risk tolerance so action can be taken to reduce risk toerlance and keep people safer. The factors that influence personal risk tolerance are:

• Overestimating one’s own capability and experience (increases risk tolerance)
• Familiarity with the task i.e. complacency (increases risk tolerance)
• Seriousness of the potential safety outcome (decreases risk tolerance)
• Voluntary actions and sense of being in control (increases risk tolerance)
• Personal experience with an outcome (decreases risk tolerance)
• Cost or implications of non-compliance (decreases risk tolerance)
• Confidence in the equipment (increases risk tolerance)
• Confidence in PPE and rescue (increases risk tolerance)
• Potential profit / gain from the action (increases risk tolerance)
• Role models accepting risk (increases risk tolerance)

This chapter discusses how Confidence in PPE and Rescue tends to increase risk tolerance.  First off, not for a moment am I advocating a return to the era in which PPE was luxury or not used at all.  I think every worker should have the best possible PPE that is available.  For PPE is the aboslute last line of defence between an incident and someone getting injured or more seriously hurt.  But also, one should know that with the better quality of PPE that has occurred over time people can get a feeling of invincibilty when wearing it.  There is so much protection that people think that they cannot get hurt and because of this, they can tend towards being less aware, anxious or on guard about the impact of a potential failure or accident.  Some people get sloppy in their work preparation to prevent any incidents or take shortcuts because they know that their PPE will protect them.  Take gloves for instance.  With the improved protection offered by gloves today, people can be less cautious when exposing their hands to a potential injury because they feel that their glove will protect them.  These same people do things with their hands because of the protection the gloves provide that only a few years ago when the quality of gloves was less that they wouldn't think for a moment of doing.  Better PPE provides workers confidence that they are protected if something goes awry, but taken too far confidence can increase risk tolerance, and poorer work planning.

Interesting enough, confidence in emergency services response, the quality of care that can be provided in the field, and the access to high quality trauma care quickly can also increase risk tolerance as people know that if something wrong happens and people get hurt (including themselves) that quick access to quality medical care is available.  Becasuse of this, people can be less cautious and take more risk on the job.  Never should the availability of rescue or the quality of rapid medical services be allowed to affect work planning and increasing a person’s risk tolerance on the job.  These mitigations are defenses against the most tragic of circumstances and the unknown unknowns when they occur. 

To mitigate this issue, remind people of the limitations of their PPE, how they work and what they are used for.  Reinforce that PPE is a last line of defence only and shouldn’t be relied upon as a risk mitigation strategy.  And the availibilty of rescue and medical treatment should not influence risk taking behaviours.  Work should be planned as if these mitigations were not available but then their presence included to mitigate the potential consequences and not be allowed to offset poor work planning.