Behavior Based Safety

Importance of Behavior Based Safety

Behavior based safety relies on complete trust and cooperation between the leaders and employees. Behavior based safety is important because it provides long-term solutions for eliminating risks and hazards. This life saving approach fosters a culture of safety in the workplace which is vital for lasting success. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) discussed that organizations aim to develop a total safety culture within their area of safety. This is achieved when every employee considers safety as a value and makes sure that their fellow employees are safe. This is what the BBS approach is all about, to reduce unsafe behaviors and continuously improve on safety performances.

Micro Approach Behavior Based Safety

The micro BBS approach aims to change the behaviors of the employees that can improve safety in the workplace. Thomas Krause provided the safety improvement process that is based on the ABC model. A stands for Antecedent, B for Behavior, C for Consequences. Consequences are what follows after a behavior. Consequences can affect future behavior depending on reinforcement and feedback. The behavioral safety process includes these 7 steps:

1. Identify behaviors that can be problematic such as unsafe or risky behaviors.
2. Determine the root cause of the identified behaviors.
3. Create possible corrective actions.
4. Evaluate corrective actions.
5. Develop the necessary processes to carry out the BBS program.
6. Implement the BBS program.
7. Evaluate the data gathered from the BBS program and check whether it solved the problem or increased safe behaviors.

Macro Approach Behavior Based Safety

The macro BBS approach aims to set permanent change in the organization’s culture. This is the total safety culture that most organizations aim to achieve with their safety programs. Michael Topf created a 6 step process that can help achieve this long-term solution for safety in the workplace. The following are the 6 steps:

1. Assess and analyze the culture in the workplace.
2. Teach and train every employee about behavioral based safety.
3. Encourage all employees to participate in the BBS program.
4. Reinforce awareness, accountability, self-observation, and self-management.
5. Provide continuous support and commitment to the employees.
6. Evaluate and provide feedback.

This strategy needs to be applied to all levels of the organization—self, peer, leader, and organizational—for the macro BBS approach to be effective.

7 Behavior Based Safety Principles

Geller stated that there are 3 factors that reflect a total safety culture—internal personal factors, external environmental factors, and behavior factors. These factors need to be present at all times. Fundamental to BBS, the integrated approach is based upon Geller’s 7 principles. This integrated approach utilizes both individual and organizational behavior which helps achieve the total safety culture. The following are the 7 principles:

1. The behavior interventions should be observable.
2. Determine external factors that can help understand and improve behaviors.
3. Antecedents should be used to direct behaviors while consequences should be used to motivate behavior.
4. Highlight positive consequences to reinforce favorable behaviors.
5. Make sure that the BBS program is measurable and objective.
6. Don’t limit possibilities, create hypotheses and combine information gathered from the BBS program.
7. Create a BBS program that considers employees’ feelings and attitudes.

Behavior Based Safety Example

A behavior based safety checklist is an essential part of the BBS program as recommended by the HSA. Here is an example that is used during behavioral observations. This BBS checklist can determine safe and risky behaviors and also pinpoint the root cause. Follow the safety observation steps for an effective behavior audit.

Elements of Behavior Based Safety System

Here are the key elements of a BBS program for an effective implementation:

• Standards for behavior and performance – such as the vision, mission, priorities, policies, processes, methods, and everything involved. This needs to be communicated to everyone participating in the program. 
• Resources – physical resources are the tools, equipment, money, and facilities needed for implementing a BBS system while psychosocial resources include time, training, culture, leadership, and trust.
• System of measurement – ensure that behavioral observations are measurable by creating a criteria where performances can be evaluated and can be used to provide objective feedback.
• Effective consequences – this can increase favorable behaviors. Effective consequences can be in the form of positive reinforcements.
• Appropriate application – The program needs to be fair. Give recognition and reward when necessary.
• Continuous evaluation of the BBS program – this allows for the program to be constantly improved. This will also determine whether the program is effective or not.

A Digital Tool Behavior Based Safety Systems

All employees have to participate in the behavior based safety program. A digital tool such as SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor) can efficiently collect behavioral observations of everyone in the organization. Managers and leaders can swiftly send out behavior based safety checklists to the employees without having to worry about paperwork.  Other notable features:

• Thousands of free safety checklists and audit templates.
• Ability to upload media files such as photos to better capture the scene.
• Schedule a behavior audit and assign employees to fill out the BBS checklists.
• Data analytics that can reflect recurrent behaviors

Featured Behavior Based Safety Checklist