Your job is to train workers to work safely and efficiently. But is your training reaching everyone? Do you adapt your supervisory methods or training material for workers who process information differently or who are unable to follow directions? Two common conditions - ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and dyslexia - may be interfering with your safety training efforts. This week, let's look at ADHD in the workplace and review some strategies you can use to help ADHD sufferers work safely and efficiently.

What Is ADHD?

ADHD is a neurobehavioral disorder characterized by inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Those with ADHD find it more difficult to carry out basic functions such as:

Often, people with ADHD will fidget, have difficulty concentrating and become bored easily. Many have poor listening skills and short attention spans.

ADHD Is Not Just a Children's Disorder

You've probably heard of ADHD. But ADHD in the workplace? Isn't ADHD something that just affects kids?

This is a common misconception. Most ADHD sufferers are children; but not all. ADHD also affects five per cent of the adult population. And those numbers are likely to rise because children with ADHD don't outgrow it. They carry it with them into adulthood. So there's a good chance that one or more of your workers is struggling with ADHD. And that directly affects you. After all, the symptoms of ADHD make working safely - and efficiently - a significant challenge.

So Why Hire Someone with ADHD?

ADHD actually has some positive effects. People with the condition are often energetic, innovative and outgoing. Many are able to hyper focus, which means they are able to focus intently on work they enjoy.

Other positive traits common among workers with ADHD include:

Handling ADHD in the Workplace

Here are eight strategies that may help workers with ADHD be safer and more productive. (Incidentally, these strategies can produce the same positive results on workers who don't have ADHD):

1. Consider letting workers wear headphones or use a white noise machine to muffle sounds (when safe and appropriate). Workers with ADHD often have difficulty blocking out distracting noise.

2. Allow workers to complete demanding tasks when they are most alert. For the majority of workers, this is in the morning.

3. Be flexible. Allow workers to work in private and/or away from distractions.

4. Suggest that workers use a notebook to jot down thoughts that may disrupt their work. If appropriate, post a whiteboard employees can use.

5. Schedule boring, repetitive tasks in small chunks throughout the day.

6. Allow workers to perform their work facing away from co-workers. Office workers may want to work with their back to the door.

7. Provide a detailed 'to-do' list employees can use to stay on track.

8. Suggest workers give careful consideration to how many hours are in a day. People with ADHD are often inclined to commit to tasks they may not be able to complete.

Conclusion

Introduce strategies aimed at helping workers with ADHD and you can help all employees work to their full potential. Next week, we'll look at another common condition that affects workplace communication - dyslexia.

I LEARNED ABOUT SAFETY FROM THAT

Safety training? Give me a brake!

Summer Job Scare

As a teenager, I worked in a metal mine in Virginia as a utility worker in the early 70's. Back then, there was no hazard training... really no training at all. One of my jobs was as a truck driver of a huge, World War II era, dump truck. I received no training prior to being given the task and, therefore, had no knowledge of how the air brakes worked.

At the end of one shift, I left the loaded truck at the top of the hill. The next morning it wouldn't start and another worker, someone with over 25 years experience that should have known better, gave me a push to jump the truck. Well, the truck started just fine, but when it proceeded down the extremely steep hill I attempted to brake and, of course, there were no brakes. I had no understanding that the air pressure had to build up before the brakes would work.

The truck, and me, careened down the hill towards a 90 degree turn that I failed to make. The truck turned over, throwing me across the truck and the long gear shift rod that, somehow, didn't pierce my body. Needless to say, I was a lucky man that day!

I am a former Environmental, Health and Safety Administrator for that mining company, where I worked for 26 years once out of college.

Sam Hollins
Aggregates Program Manager
Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance

What experiences propelled you into the field of safety? Share your stories with SafetyXChange members. Send them to catherinej@bongarde.com.

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