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November 10, 2014

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Behavioural Safety

Behavioural safety information and resources

Behavioural safety plays a significant role in helping avoid accidents and ill-health at work.

Behavioural safety is the application of behavioural research on human performance to the problems of safety in the workplace.

Behavioural safety is changing unsafe behaviour into safe behaviour

Everybody who works to reduce accidents in the workplace is concerned with human behaviour as, according to the HSE website, up to 80% of accidents are often attributed to human error.‟

Two approaches to behavioural safety

There are two basic approaches to improving the human factors in safety: 1) changing the way people think and feel to change behaviour; or 2) directly address the behaviour to get people to do the right things at the right time. The first is encapsulated in ‘hearts and minds’ campaigns, while behavioural safety processes address the second. Many believe the issue is binary: adopt one or the other.

Which works best? No quantitative evidence is available to show the hearts and minds approach positively impacts safety performance. Conversely, numerous published studies show quantifiable impacts on injury reduction from behavioural safety approaches.                    

Both approaches attempt to engage employees in safety. Engaged employees are five times less likely to be hurt, and seven times less likely to experience an LTI[i],[ii], however, changes in a person’s values, beliefs, and attitudes have to come from within. Based on a person’s self-evaluation showing the tangible effects of desired outcomes, this is uncertain and takes a long time to affect behaviour[iii]. Depending on the person’s commitment to change it also takes between two to eight months of consistent performance for behaviour(s) to become a habit[iv]. Importantly, engaging work-groups in safety, rather than individuals, leads to greater behaviour change and incident reduction

.

Regardless, many safety professionals fail to consider the power of the prevailing situation when attempting behaviour and attitude change[vi]. In safety, this often means the presence of human error traps[vii], system faults, physical hazards, poor communications, lackadaisical safety leadership, etc. Optimising the situation optimises behaviour. For example, there is compelling evidence that completing corrective actions to eliminate hazards (i.e. change the situation) leads to an average 21% change in people’s safety behaviour[viii]. In turn, the behaviour change can be the precursor for belief and attitude changes[ix],[x].

Scientific research shows that any safety improvement initiative is doomed to failure if it does not concurrently address: 1) the way people think and feel about safety; 2) people’s safety behaviour, and 3) the prevailing situation. So the question arises: why does a large portion of the safety profession ignore the opportunities presented by this tri-partite approach?

Behavioural safety articles

Amazon boss brings end to remote working

Online giant Amazon has told all its staff to get back to the office five days a week and cancelled routine remote working.

A family affair – 15 years of Proud2bSafe

In a candid article for SHP, Abbi Taylor reflects on wellbeing, working with her Dad, and the importance of inspirational speakers.

Urgent action needed to tackle “epidemic” of long working hours, says IOSH

Half the UK’s workers regularly put in two or more additional hours without pay every week – many of them an hour or more a day – while more than half admit working while feeling too ill to do so, new survey findings reveal.

It’s time to rethink mental health

If we’re to rethink our approach to mental health we need to rethink legislative interpretation, says Steven Harris.

Preventing workplace accidents with Behavioural Based Safety Programmes

Implementing a Behavioural Based Safety (BBS) Programme is an excellent strategy for addressing unsafe behaviours in the workplace. It can engage employees, help you drive a proactive safety culture, and provide a framework for obtaining key safety data to help you get ahead of risks and prevent accidents happening in the future.

Global manifesto aims to support safety in developing countries

The Global Initiative for Industrial Safety has published a manifesto it says can “take a significant step towards addressing emerging and long-standing safety risks across the world”.

The mechanics of risk

David England says understanding the mechanics of risk can enhance the true value of a health and safety professional.

The right kind of wrong

The author of The Fearless Organisation is righting the wrong. Tim Marsh takes a look at Amy Edmondson’s new approach.

Navigating the curve

What issues arise as you travel the culture change curve? Sarah Prince at Tribe Culture Change shares her insight.

Personal safety devices made mandatory as part of council’s PPE

Norfolk’s Breckland Council has rolled out personal safety devices for its 300 staff members as mandatory.

Throw away comments

Tony Roscoe, Director at Implexis Consulting shares his observations of the link between language and work culture.

Webinar: Creating a Culture of Trust: Strategies for Psychological Safety in the Workplace

Explore ways for creating an open and engaged workplace where everyone feels empowered to contribute.

Ensuring effective investigations into whistleblowing reports in safety-critical environments

Tim Smith at Safecall discusses the actions to take for employees to feel comfortable to speak up, challenge and report bad practice in the workplace.

Amazon ambulance investigation

Investigation reveals ambulances were requested over 1,400 times over five years as GMB union asks for HSE scrutiny. An investigation

Webinar: Preventing Workplace Accidents and Reducing SIFs with a Behaviour Based Safety Programme

Learn how organisations can best implement Behavioural Safety approaches

Health and Safety professionals are embracing change for a safer work environment

Health and safety professionals are adopting different strategies to ensure people are safe, with a focus on developing talent

New Zealand looks beyond road cones in safety reformation

New Zealand is planning to reform its health and safety law and regulations.

Major learnings from major incidents

Tribe Culture Change’s Lead Consultant, Rich Opie, explores how major incidents lead to shifts in collective thinking.

New e-book ponders the Act and its impact

New publication reflecting on fifty years of the legislation applauds its influence but asks questions around wellbeing and technology. 

Certifying Security Information Boxes

Mark West at Warrington Fire explains why third-party testing and certification of security information boxes is crucial.

Can safety professionals learn from an analysis of Boeing’s safety culture?

US aircraft manufacturer Boeing has received unwelcome publicity over its safety record in recent years. Ron Alalouff sees what lessons can be learnt.

[i] Harter, J K., Schmidt, F. L. , Killham, E. A., & Asplund, J. W (2006). Q12® Meta-Analysis. Gallup Consulting;

[ii] Lockwood, N. R. (2007). Leveraging employee engagement for competitive advantage: HR’s strategic role. HR magazine, 52(3), 1-11.

[iii] Rothman, A. J. (2000). Toward a theory-based analysis of behavioral maintenance. Health Psychology19(1S), 64.

[iv] Lally, P., Van Jaarsveld, C.H.M., Potts, H. W.W. & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40, 998–1009.

[v] Cooper, M.D. (2009). Behavioral Safety: Process Design Considerations. Professional Safety, 54 (2), 36-45.

[vi] Cooper, M.D. (2000). ‘Towards a Model of Safety Culture’. Safety Science, 32 (6), 111-136.

[vii] Cooper, M.D. & Finley, L.J. (2013). Strategic Safety Culture Roadmap. BSMS, Franklin, IN

[viii] Cooper, M.D. (2010). Safety Leadership In Construction: A Case Study. Italian Journal of Occupational Medicine and Ergonomics: Suppl. A Psychology, 32(1), pp A18-A23.

[ix] Pettigrew, T. F. (1998). Intergroup contact theory. Annual Review of Psychology, 49(1), 65-85.

[x] Cooper, M.D. & Phillips, R.A. (2004). Exploratory analysis of the safety climate and safety behavior relationship, Journal of Safety Research, 35, 497 – 512.

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