17/03/2026
Communication errors in high-noise environments: simple neuroinclusive fixes that improve safety
Neurodiversity Celebration Week (17–22 March)
Guest blog by Nat Hawley, MSc (Applied Neuroscience), Neuroinclusion Consultant and Founder of Divergent Thinking
For Neurodiversity Celebration Week, Vertex have kindly handed today’s blog over to me. We have worked together on inclusion and operational practice before, including my workshops at the Vertex Industry Day, so this felt like a practical moment to share something operators can use immediately on site.
Those of you who have been on a busy site in peak season won’t need me to explain the recipe for confusion.
Noise. Radios. Queues building. A new staff member on their third shift. A group that needs more support than expected. A plan that was solid at 9am but has been rewritten three times by 11.
Most “errors” in these environments aren’t a competence issue. They are a systems issue. They are what happens when information is delivered in a way the environment makes easy to miss.
Neurodiversity is a term that recognises natural differences in how people think, process information and communicate (including ADHD, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia). In practice, that means the same comms approach won’t land equally for everyone. But here’s the useful bit: the comms changes that support neurodivergent staff also reduce human error for everyone.
And in this sector, reducing error is not “nice”. It’s the job.
So, here are a few quick, practical fixes you can try on shift. No expensive kit. No long policy documents. Just tweaks you will actually use.
The problem we all recognise (and rarely name)
In high-noise or high-pressure environments, people miss information for predictable reasons:
● you only catch half the message on the radio
● the instruction is buried inside a long explanation
● the plan lives in someone’s head
● handovers happen verbally (and vanish)
● people are reluctant to ask “say that again” because it looks like weakness
● a newer staff member doesn’t know the “hidden rules”, so they guess
● tired brains process slower, and shift transitions make it worse
If you have ever seen someone do the wrong thing for a completely understandable reason, you’ve seen this in action.
Fix 1: Put the action first (then the context)
This is the simplest one and it changes everything.
Instead of:
“Just so you know, we’ve had a couple of issues this morning and we might need to…”
Try:
“What I need you to do is…”
Then add the reason in one line.
Example:
“What I need: pause dispatch to Zone 3 for 10 minutes. Reason: reset and check.”
This helps everyone. It is especially useful for staff who struggle to pull the “ask” out of a long message when there is noise, pressure and a lot going on.
Fix 2: Use a repeat-back for anything safety critical
Some industries call it closed-loop communication. You don’t need the jargon. You need the habit.
For anything safety critical, add:
“Repeat back.”
Not because you don’t trust people. Because you don’t trust the environment.
A bad radio moment, a gust of wind, a customer shouting, someone walking past you mid-sentence, and suddenly you’ve got a decision being acted on incorrectly.
If it matters, confirm it.
Example:
“Zone 2 closed. Repeat back.”
“Zone 2 closed.”
“Correct.”
Ten seconds. Big payoff.
Fix 3: Stop using “almost the same” phrases
Vertex folk already know this, but it is worth saying out loud: similar phrases create predictable mistakes.
If two commands sound alike, they will get muddled under pressure.
So make your key phrases distinct, not just “technically different”.
This matters for:
● dispatch / hold
● open / closed
● stop / go
● clear / secure
● reset / restart
The fix is to pick language you won’t confuse when you’re tired, wet, cold, hot, and managing 15 competing priorities.
Fix 4: Make handover visible, not verbal
Handover is where “small misunderstandings” become “big problems”.
If the plan is verbal, it disappears. If it’s written, it survives.
A handover board can be incredibly simple. But it needs a consistent structure. For example:
● what’s live right now (closures, issues, kit status)
● what’s changed since last check-in
● who owns what
● anything time critical
● anything safety critical
It can be a whiteboard, clipboard, laminated sheet, shared note, whatever fits your operation. The key is: same place, every time.
Fix 5: Reduce sensory load at the moments that matter
This is not about making outdoor work quiet. It is about knowing when clarity is most fragile.
The “risk moments” tend to be:
● start of shift
● peak flow
● transitions between zones
● end of shift fatigue
● unexpected disruptions (weather, kit problems, staffing gaps)
During those moments:
● keep briefings short and structured
● where possible, step 10 metres away from noise for safety-critical instructions
● avoid giving multiple instructions while walking away
● if someone looks overloaded, give the next step only
● normalise quick pauses for clarity
Some people can hold a lot of information in working memory. Some can’t, especially under load. We don’t need everyone to be the same. We need the system to be robust.
Fix 6: Make “pause for clarity” part of your safety culture
If people fear looking incompetent, they won’t ask questions. They’ll guess.
So give your team a phrase that makes clarification normal and professional. For example:
● “Pause for clarity.”
● “One sentence version.”
● “Say that again for safety.”
Then leaders and senior staff need to use it first. Culture is built by what role models do under pressure, not what posters say in the staff room.
Fix 7: Support without requiring disclosure
Not everyone wants to disclose neurodivergence. Some people do not have a diagnosis. Some people don’t want the label. Fine.
The goal is to build an environment where people can work well anyway.
Two easy moves:
1. Offer options by default
“Do you want this on the radio or written?”
“Do you want the quick checklist?”
“Would it help if I show once and you run it?”
2. Reduce hidden rules
Spell out the stuff that lives in people’s heads:
● what “urgent” means on your site
● when it’s ok to stop dispatch
● what gets escalated and how
● who makes the call when there’s uncertainty
Hidden rules create guessing. Guessing creates risk.
Quick wins to trial this week
If you want a simple NCW challenge, try one of these:
1. Use repeat-back for safety critical comms for 7 days
2. Introduce a consistent handover board template
3. Standardise one set of distinct phrases and stick to them
4. Start using “pause for clarity” as a normal safety phrase
You will likely notice fewer “wait… what?” moments, less rework, and calmer decision-making under pressure.
And if you only take one thing from this: the best comms are not the cleverest. They are the clearest.
© Nat Hawley - Founder Divergent Tinking
About Divergent Thinking
Divergent Thinking is a UK-based neuroinclusion consultancy. We help organisations make inclusion practical through training, manager upskilling and evidence-informed support focused on day-to-day ways of working, communication, reasonable adjustments and sustainable change.
https://www.divergentthinking.uk/about-us
