Wait, what was I doing? Attention Management for Safety

Presented By: Dr. Antonio Cortés, Senior Advisor (USA, Canada, South America), GMR Aviation Consulting

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

14:45 – 15:45

There’s an old saying in aviation: Takeoffs are optional but landings are mandatory. Could pilots get so distracted that they forget to land? Yes! This presentation will help AMTs and pilots to increase their resilience against distractions. The lecture is 45-minutes long, followed by a Q&A, and complements the shorter webinar from September 2020 titled, Remember Your Parachute! Fitness for duty in the year of distraction.

Since childhood we have been taught ways to manage our attention and for good reason. Our life often depends on it! In aviation, we have long known about the dangers of external distractions, but many of us are less familiar with the equally dangerous effects of internal distractions. This presentation covers those topics and also addresses automation-related distractions, how emotions impact focus, multi-tasking, and attentional tunneling. You will gain a new respect for how attention controls our behavior, learn about attentional processes, and grasp the importance of recognizing our attentional limits.

Key Takeaways:

• Recognize vulnerability to external and internal distractions.
• Actively work to avoid “half conversations” by resolving to “be present!”
• Share your attentional focus with coworkers during safety critical tasks.
• Consider No-Interruption Zones and Clothing for certain safety critical tasks.