Pointing and calling

Pointing and calling is a method in occupational safety for avoiding mistakes by pointing at important indicators and calling out the status. It is common in Japan and is sometimes referred to by its Japanese terms, shisa kanko (指差喚呼), shisa kakunin kanko (指差確認喚呼) or yubisashi koshō (指差呼称). Making large gestures and speaking out the status helps keeping focus and attention. The method was first used by train drivers and is now commonly used in Japanese industry. It is not common in other countries, though it is used in the New York City Subway system. It is recommend by the Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association (JISHA, 中央労働災害防止協会).

Pointing and calling requires co-action and co-reaction among the operator's brain, eyes, hands, mouth, and ears.

The method originated in Japan in the early 1900s, with train drivers calling out the status of signals. The pointing was added a few decades later.

A 1994 study by the Railway Technical Research Institute showed that pointing and calling reduced mistakes by almost 85 percent when doing a simple task.

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