Covid Behaviours: When the subconscious is in charge!
Covid behaviours – when the subconscious is in charge - OR some we think about and some we don’t!
I had just written this post when the sobering briefing from Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance was broadcast. One of the key messages is that we take risk collectively, on behalf of everyone else, and Covid-secure behaviour is right up there for personal responsibility.
As many of you will already know, I am a people watcher. So much of health and safety is about human behaviour, so it is endlessly fascinating to me!
And in the world of Covid-19 it has a whole new level…
So what do I see?
I think people have mostly got a handle on the obvious do’s and don’ts (if they chose to), when they are thinking about it that is, but what about when people are focused on something else?
In the office environment…
I am hearing from my clients that slips typically happen when people are focused on the task - for example gathering around a colleague's screen to discuss a question. A social distancing fail in an environment where colleagues were frustrated that this was happening frequently, and reminders weren’t working.
The solution? Wear a face covering every time you leave your desk.
Shared objects are another source of frustration – the small things like needing a pad of post-it notes pens or a stapler; bigger items like shared printers or photocopiers; and that really uncomfortable feeling of do I / don’t I make my colleague a cup of coffee?
The solution? Wearing gloves and getting into the habit of wiping down shared touchpoints can help here.
Creatures of habit
How about what people do with their hands without even thinking about it?
A habit, an itch, a stress reaction or even vanity! I often catch myself pushing my glasses back up my nose, other people fiddle with their face covering, touch their mouth when they are thinking or talking, rub their eyes or scratch their nose, fiddle with their hair or beard, or nibble their nails.
According to a 2015 study in the American Journal of Infection Control, people touch their faces on average more than 20 times an hour, and it’s a direct route to your mucous membranes (the thin moist lining of the nose, mouth, throat). Not a big issue in itself, but it’s what your hands touched before, or what they touch next…
If you have found this interesting why not watch this short video to find out more: