The importance of managing human factors during a workplace crisis

Abstract

While many of manufacturing injuries including fatalities elicit a standard and straightforward response, certain types of incidents have characteristics that warrant an elevated or escalated response. So-called critical incidents are more disruptive to organizations and can disrupt organizational productivity and affect employees’ emotional well-being. This response is as predictable as it is normal. In the face of such an organizational crisis, leaders are charged with the responsibility of restoring normalcy (or as close as can be restored). Critical incidents are unsettling, uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations. A crisis management plan with an established protocol for critical incident response can help restore leadership in these times of crisis.