Released to mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work (28 April), a new behavioural safety programme promises organisations the opportunity to reignite flagging workplace-accident and illness prevention efforts.
Devised by DuPont Sustainable Solutions, the DuPont Integrated Approach for Safety (DnA) is aimed at organisations that are already advanced in their safety culture, but whose efforts have plateaued.
Companies wanting to improve their safety performance have traditionally focused on changing the attitudes of their employees. But, points out DuPont, organisations can quickly fall into the trap of complacency once improvements in safety performance have been reached, which can then lead to stagnation.
DuPont subscribes to the theory that work safety efforts have to be renewed, reinvigorated and reinforced constantly and consistently over time. DnA is said to offer an innovative approach that prevents employees from becoming bored with an often-repeated message.
The programme uses a practical model of human behaviour to consider how the brain processes information, how we think and what we believe, as well as influential external factors, such as the work environment and social climates.
Built around three stages, the approach uses an assessment tool called the DuPont Values, Attitudes and Beliefs Index, which helps build a profile of safety beliefs, values and behaviours in an organisation.
DnA also offers competency-based learning, which aims to help individuals develop their skill level from their own starting point and then assess progress against a universal standard of competency, rather than against the achievements of other learners.
Finally, DuPont ProGress Coaching helps build up the competency level of an individual by moving away from traditional instruction to a more “facilitated learning” approach involving coaching.
Over the past two years, the company has been implementing this new learning approach at its own sites and says it can point to the achievement of some excellent results. The programme is now available to external companies looking for to re-energise their safety cultures.
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I like this article as it is really a challenge at the hands of every health & safety professional. Organizations keep spending their time and efforts in conducting research and improvement in every aspect of their business: manufacturing, marketing, sales, recruitment etc. How often do we see them focus their efforts in improving their strategies on health & safety.. The popular slogan ” good safety= good business” most often stands superficial. Thanks very much for your article, Gladwyn