The effect of equipment proximity on safe performance in a manufacturing setting.

Winburn et al. (2014) worked with three factory workers who kept forgetting safety goggles.

The team used an ABAB reversal design. First they measured how often workers wore goggles. Then they moved the goggles to within 1.5 m of the workstation. They moved the goggles away again, then back close.

Task clarification alone did nothing. Only the distance change was tested.

When goggles sat within 1.5 m, all three workers put them on right away. Safe behavior jumped to levels usually seen only with star employees.

Moving the goggles farther away dropped safety back to baseline. Bringing them close again fixed it instantly.

Smith et al. (2010) saw the same pattern in an autism clinic. Placing hand gel at every door beat giving verbal reminders. Both studies show the same rule: make the safe thing the easy thing.

Gravina et al. (2020) reviewed dozens of workplace programs and listed "cut response effort" as a top tactic. Elizabeth et al. give one clean experiment that proves the point.

Okinaka et al. (2011) used prompts and praise to get college riders off their bikes. That worked too, but it needed staff time. Elizabeth et al. got big gains with zero ongoing effort.

You can boost safety tomorrow without extra staff or training. Walk the floor, measure the steps, and move gear closer. One tape-mark on the floor can do more than a month of reminders.