Multitasking and the illusion of safety

Abstract

Evidence suggests that conducting two or more tasks simultaneously (i.e., “multitasking”) leads to decreased attention overall and plays a contributing role to accidents and injuries. This paper examines the potential impact multitasking can have in a work environment influenced by electrical hazards. The paper will: (a) provide an example of an incident scenario in which multitasking could play a role; (b) describe the psychology of multitasking; (c) explain why we overestimate our multitasking ability and how this leads us to take risks; and (d) suggest how to apply this knowledge in certain electrical hazard scenarios.