In today’s fast-paced and dynamic work environments, safety remains a paramount concern. Businesses across industries continuously strive to enhance safety protocols to protect their employees, assets and reputation. One approach that has gained significant traction in this aspect is Behavior-Based Safety (BBS). In this blog, we discuss what is behavior-based safety, its importance and principles, implementation strategies, benefits and potential challenges.
What is Behavior-Based Safety?
Behavior-based safety is a proactive approach aimed at preventing accidents and incidents by focusing on the behaviors of individuals within an organization. It focuses on understanding the unsafe behaviors of individuals and working out ways to help them modify such behaviors. It is based on broad-based evidence that most accidents at the workplace happen due to unsafe behaviors that employees exhibit on the floor. Modifying such human behaviors can reduce the likelihood of occupational accidents and improve safety performance.
What happens is that in the beginning, workers are usually conscious of the safety risks involved in their tasks. When a routine sets in, workers get used to the operations that they take safety aspects for granted. They fail to pay the same attention they invested in the beginning. This is a dangerous pattern and puts lives at irreversible risk. Studies show that over 90% of workplace incidents result from unsafe behaviors exhibited by frontline workers. Though the surface cause of the accident is always known, understanding the root cause is necessary to prevent such workplace accidents.
Behavior-based safety aims to examine the behaviors of employees and workers when they perform their daily tasks and determine the root cause of the risky, unsafe behaviors they exhibit. The program then offers constructive feedback, awareness and mechanisms to realign their behavior with expected safety practices.
In essence, behavior-based safety programs analyze the interaction between three major elements- employees, work environment and behavior. They work on the assumption that individuals have the potential to exercise control over their actions. And that by influencing individual behaviors, workplace safety can surely be enhanced.
Why Is Behavior-Based Safety Important?
Now that you know what is behavior-based safety, the next step is to understand the importance and benefits of safety management systems.
The International Labor Organization reports over 350,000 deaths due to fatal accidents, and 313 million workers are affected by non-fatal occupational accidents. A behavior-based safety program aims to identify and eliminate the primary source of occupational accidents. The ultimate aim is to create an accident-proof, safe work environment for employees. Following are some of the reasons why behavior-based safety is essential in workplaces.
Saves Human Lives
A behavior-based safety training program follows a proactive approach to ensuring workplace safety. It aims to prevent occupational accidents before they happen. Doing so helps businesses save human lives and other financial costs due to equipment, machinery or property damages.
Strengthens Workplace Safety
Organizations follow safety procedures and protocols based on the nature of the industry and legal requirements. BBS systems augment the traditional safety procedures to strengthen the safety of the workplace. As they influence human behavior, the impact of behavior-based safety programs is more pronounced than the traditional safety procedures and protocols.
Promotes Employee Engagement
In addition to that, behavior-based safety training programs promote employee engagement to a great extent. Naturally, employees feel positive and motivated to work in a space that values their lives and livelihoods. It also plays a key role in boosting productivity and employee satisfaction.
Long-Term Safety Enhancements
Thereafter, BBS systems monitor safety behaviors exhibited by individual workers. They identify the underlying reason, offer continuous feedback and create actionable awareness to influence the behavior of employees. Such a mechanism helps workers create core habits and behaviors, the impact of which lasts longer.
Complies with Legal Norms
BBS systems promote a safe workplace which is important for compliance with legal norms listed in the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Non-compliance may result in penalties and hefty fines. These programs help mitigate financial risks and ensure the business complies with EHS (Environment, Health and Safety) standards and other regional workplace and employee safety laws.
To learn about the importance of supply chain sustainability for businesses in 2023, click here.
4 Key Principles of a Behavior-Based Safety Program
Observation and Feedback
The cornerstone of BBS lies in observing and providing feedback on employee behaviors. Trained observers, often peers or supervisors, identify unsafe actions, at-risk behaviors and positive safety practices. The collected data is then used to develop targeted interventions.
Rather than solely focusing on punishing unsafe behaviors, BBS emphasizes positive reinforcement. It believes that acknowledging and rewarding safe actions encourages employees to adopt and sustain safe behaviors in the long run.
Next, BBS fosters a culture of active participation and ownership in safety. Employees are encouraged to contribute their insights, identify potential hazards and collaborate in developing safety protocols.
Data analysis is at the heart of BBS. Objective and measurable data obtained from observations help in identifying patterns, trends, and areas for improvement, leading to more effective safety interventions.
To learn about the role of ESG software in building a more sustainable future, read this.
How to Implement a BBS System at Your Workplace?
By following the steps mentioned below and maintaining a proactive and positive approach, your organization can successfully implement a behavior-based safety system.
Leadership Support and Commitment
Gain buy-in from top management and secure their commitment to the BBS initiative. Leaders must actively participate, demonstrate the importance of safety and allocate necessary resources for the program’s success.
Assessment and Planning
Conduct a comprehensive assessment of your workplace’s safety culture and identify existing safety protocols and challenges. This evaluation will help you design a tailored BBS program that aligns with your organization’s specific needs.
Define Objectives and Set Goals
Set clear and achievable objectives for the BBS system. Define the desired safety behaviors and outcomes you want to promote, such as reducing incidents or enhancing near-miss reporting.
Training and Education
Provide thorough training to all employees about the principles and benefits of BBS. This education should cover all critical aspects like how the observation process works, the importance of positive reinforcement and the roles and responsibilities of employees and observers.
Establish an Observation Process
Next, create a systematic process for behavioral observations. Define what behaviors will be observed, who will conduct the observations, how frequently they will occur and the data collection methods.
Data Collection and Analysis
Collect data from the observations and analyze it to identify trends and patterns in unsafe behaviors. Use the data to develop targeted interventions and safety improvements.
Feedback and Communication
Regularly communicate the results of the observations and interventions to all employees. Keep them informed about the progress of the BBS program and how their contributions are making a difference in workplace safety.
BBS is an ongoing process and continuous improvement is essential. Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the BBS system, solicit feedback from employees and make necessary adjustments to enhance its impact.
Challenges in Implementing a Behavior-Based Safety Program
Studies show that successfully implementing the BBS system can reduce incident rates by 40% and enhance safety behaviors by 32%. Yet, there are challenges that businesses face in implementing and scaling the program. Here are some key challenges –
Resistance to Change
When observers offer feedback and motivate workers to bring about a change in their behaviors, they might exhibit resistance. This is because they have been used to comfortably doing routine tasks for a considerable amount of time and changing the behavior suddenly may seem hard. The BBS team must focus on educating the employees about the importance of safety procedures and why it matters.
Failure to Garner Employee Participation
Naturally, humans are inclined to follow a behavior if it leads to the end result, no matter whether it is safe, unsafe or risky. We tend to ignore the safety procedures for shortcuts and other short-lived advantages. Similarly, workers take shortcuts to save time and effort and forego safety precautions. It is difficult to change such behaviors without their fullest participation.
Data Accuracy and Bias
Thereafter, the success of BBS relies heavily on accurate data collected through behavioral observations. However, observer subjectivity and potential biases can affect data reliability to a large extent. Hence, properly training observers to remain objective and consistent in their assessments is crucial to obtain reliable data.
Time and Resource Constraints
Lastly, implementing a BBS program requires time, effort and resources. It involves training observers, conducting regular observations and analyzing data. In busy work environments, finding the necessary resources and allocating time for BBS can be challenging. Also, enthusiasm for the BBS program may wane if not continually reinforced. It is crucial to sustain employee engagement by providing regular feedback, recognizing positive behaviors and demonstrating tangible improvements resulting from the program.
Embracing Behavior-Based Safety is an investment in the long-term success and sustainability of any business, ensuring a safer and healthier work environment for everyone involved.
At VisiumKMS, we are committed to staying ahead of the curve. Our process safety management software helps companies maintain all their process safety information in one system, using best-in-class, standardized workflows developed by industry experts! To discuss your needs with one of our experts, schedule a call with us here.