Multitasking and the Illusion of Safety: The Potential Impact in Certain Electrical Hazard Scenarios

Evidence suggests that conducting two or more tasks simultaneously (i.e., multitasking) leads to decreased attention overall and plays a contributing role in accidents and injuries. This article examines the potential impact multitasking can have in a work environment influenced by electrical hazards. This article 1) provides an example of an incident scenario in which multitasking could play a role, 2) describes the psychology of multitasking, 3) explains why we overestimate our multitasking ability and how this leads us to take risks, and 4) suggests how to apply this knowledge in certain electrical hazard scenarios.