SA distractions

Here are some factors that will hinder your attempts at situational awareness:

• Inexperience – You do not understand the significance of what you are seeing.
• Stress – You have other things on your mind.
• Fatigue – You are flat tired. You have been up for hours and you are just not thinking straight.
• Attitude – You think it is someone else’s job to keep track of what is happening, or other attitude barriers that compromise awareness.

If you are distracted, you are thinking about things other than the job at hand. If you are less focused, you will not notice key events or hazards. You will not make good decisions and more information may just confuse you. A lack of situational awareness can lead to injuries or accidents to you or your fellow crew members.