Complacency in Workplace Safety: Why Comfort Is More Dangerous Than Crisis

4 days ago
3 min read

It’s an uncomfortable truth: comfort can be more dangerous than crisis.

In psychology, crisis triggers growth. It creates urgency, activates problem-solving, and mobilises resources. On the other hand, comfort breeds complacency. It convinces us that things are fine, even when critical risks are quietly stacking up behind the scenes. In a workplace setting, this psychological trap has serious implications for health, safety, and risk.

So why is comfort so dangerous, and how does this apply to your WHS responsibilities?

The Psychology of Comfort and Crisis

When things are going well, our brains seek to conserve energy. We become less alert to threats, less motivated to question processes, and more likely to overlook early warning signs. This is called homeostasis. The brain’s desire to maintain the status quo. But in risk management, homeostasis is hazardous.

By contrast, when a crisis occurs, whether it’s an incident, a non-compliance breach, or a near miss, it creates discomfort. This discomfort drives action. Suddenly, we conduct investigations, review our controls, and engage our people. It becomes a catalyst for change.

But what if we didn’t wait for crisis to act?

Complacency: The Silent Risk Multiplier

Comfort often leads to what psychologists call optimism bias. A belief that "it won’t happen here" or "we’ve always done it this way and been fine." That bias is often strongest in organisations with no recent incidents. Ironically, it’s in these very environments that risks are most likely to go unchallenged.

In safety-critical industries, this creates a dangerous illusion of control. Systems may appear to be working, but beneath the surface, gaps widen:

Procedures become outdated
Risk registers aren’t reviewed
Critical controls are assumed to be effective without verification
Training is ticked off, not tested for true competence
Leaders stop asking “what if?”

Comfort dulls vigilance. And without vigilance, controls fail silently—until something goes wrong.

How This Plays Out in Workplaces

Let’s break down a few practical examples.

1. A site hasn’t had a serious incident in years. Supervisors start trusting that "good workers make good decisions." Permit systems aren’t enforced properly. Risk assessments become generic. The culture shifts from proactive to reactive.

2. A business hits its KPIs consistently. Resources get shifted away from safety because it’s “already taken care of.” Safety becomes a line item, not a strategic priority. Near miss reporting drops because people don't want to 'rock the boat.'

3. An organisation wins a safety award. They stop auditing their critical risks because they believe their reputation proves their effectiveness. But no award ever stopped a fall from heights or electrical arc flash.

In every example, comfort replaces curiosity. And in WHS, that can be fatal.

Turning Discomfort into a Preventative Strategy

We don’t need a crisis to improve safety.

Instead, we need systems and behaviours that intentionally create productive discomfort—where people are encouraged to challenge the status quo, verify what’s working, and speak up when something feels off.

Here’s how to build that culture:

Treat 'no incidents' as a signal to dig deeper, not relax. Zero harm isn’t a destination, it’s a question: what’s working, and what could fail tomorrow?
Regularly verify critical controls. Not just tick-a-box audits. Real, in-field checks that ask: is this control doing what it’s meant to?
Rotate risk scenarios. Use bowtie analysis, simulation exercises, or desktop reviews to keep people thinking critically about ‘what if.’
Prioritise psychological safety. People need to feel safe to raise issues, report close calls, and admit when they’re unsure.
Red-team your assumptions. Bring in external perspectives or independent reviews to test your systems, especially when things are running smoothly.

The Role of Leaders

Leadership is not about maintaining comfort, it’s about creating clarity. A strong safety leader doesn’t wait for crisis to uncover weaknesses. They ask the hard questions before someone gets hurt.

You’ll know you’re leading well when people feel slightly uncomfortable in a good way, always scanning, questioning, and improving.

Before you relax because things feel safe…

Ask yourself: are your critical risks being actively managed, or are you relying on good fortune and good workers? Are you seeing complacency in workplace safety?

Have you ever reviewed your controls when everything was “going fine”, just to be sure?

Risk doesn’t disappear when it’s quiet. It hides.

If you're ready to challenge comfort, audit your risks, and verify your critical controls, we can help. Book a free discovery call today and let’s put discomfort to work for the right reasons.

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