Even highly experienced workers can freeze, fixate, or make poor decisions when something unexpected happens. This article explores the startle effect in high-risk work and how realistic drills, better procedures, alarm design, and scenario-based training can improve recovery under pressure.

Under pressure, attention can narrow so sharply that people focus on one alarm, one task, or one explanation while missing the hazard developing beside it. This article explores cognitive tunneling in emergency response and how HSE teams can design procedures, alarms, drills, and decision support to widen situational awareness when it matters most.

Experience is valuable, but familiarity can quietly change how risk is perceived. As tasks become routine, hazards can begin to feel less significant even when the underlying risk remains unchanged.