Food Safety Focus | Tunnel Vision

Hello All! 

I hope this message finds all of you and your families safe and well.

This food safety focus will focus on Tunnel Vision.  What does this have to do with food safety?  Good question.

When I look up tunnel vision on Google, I get:

  • defective sight in which objects cannot be properly seen if not close to the center of the field of view.

Interestingly enough they use the word “defective sight” to describe it.  Tunnel vision is easy to fall into, especially when learning a new job or skill and is the cause of many accidents that occur by team members who pay poor attention to their surroundings.  The newly initiated aren’t the only ones to fall prey to it, however, trainers must anticipate this in all new team members.  Even if the team member seems to learn their job faster than usual.

If someone is not even aware of the person who just came into their area, because of tunnel vision, how can they be sure that person works for us or isn’t about to adulterate any food products?  New team members are an easy target for people trying to get in our facilities for no good reason.  All team members should announce their arrival to any new area they enter, either by horn when using a lift or loud voice if walking.  Make sure people in the area know you are there.  If someone comes into an area quietly, then they didn’t get our training to announce their arrival…

Erase tunnel vision and see the big picture.  Get our veteran team members on board with this, with seeing the big picture of what we do and the importance of helping new team members through the tunnel vision that comes with learning something new.  It takes everyone together to raise up the best team possible and in turn improve culture and safety overall.

Thanks, for all that you do every Day!

Justin

Food Safety Manager

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Author: Trish Metts