Presentation & Training - HSE Behavior Based Safety

BEHAVIOR BASED SAFETY

BEHAVIOR BASED SAFETY

It is a programme based on the principles of behavioral psychology, also known as behavior modification, BBS is a technique for modifying behavior of workers to make them work safely.

Behavioural Based Safety is an approach to safety that focuses on workers' behavior as the cause of most work-related injuries and illnesses.

It is a process that helps employees identify and choose a safe behavior over an unsafe one.

These behaviors are geared toward a safer work environment.

The system must have controls in place which will measure whether or not these behaviors exist as a routine element in the work environment.

Acceptable behaviors must be positively reinforced frequently and immediately as the behavior occurs.

BACKGROUND

In the 1930’s, Heinrich reported that about 90% of all accidents involving fatalities, major and minor injuries were caused by “unsafe behavior” by workers. Subsequent studies by DuPont (1956) confirmed Heinrich’s contention.

Traditional engineering and management approaches to counter this (such as automation, procedure compliance, administrative controls, and OSHA-type standards and rules) were successful in reducing the number of accidents significantly. However, incidents and accidents persisted, keeping rates at a level that was still disturbing to customers, managers, and workers.

Developed in the late 1970s and 1980s -- a merger of the behavioral sciences as applied to safety (Komaki et al., 1978; Krause, Hidley, and Lareau, 1984) -- led to the birth of a “new” process behavior-based safety.

BBS has had an impressive record. Research has shown that, as safe behaviors increase, safety incidents decrease. Measurement of “percent safe acts” is a leading safety indicator. In contrast, most safety measures are lagging measures, which are recorded after the incident (e.g.,OSHA recordable cases).

Good Practices For The Behavior-based Safety Process. US Department of Energy. 2003

Behavior is what a person does or says. What causes a person to take this particular behavior or course of action depends on other influencing factors. Attitude and situational conditions cause the particular behavior.

WHAT IS BEHAVIOR ?

WHAT INFLUENCES BEHAVIOR ?

BEHAVIOR PRINCIPLES

Motivation. Intelligence. Emotions. Experience. Attitude Situational Conditions

Desire Need. Skills. Abilities. Ambition.

PERSON

ENVIRONMENT BEHAVIOR

BEHAVIOR BASED SAFETY PRINCIPLES

Safety in the workplace is a combination of three measurable components: the person, their environment, and their behavior.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Experince,

Intelligence, Motives, Attitude, Personality

Engineering Control, Task, Work Culture, Tools,

Machines, Equipment, Housekeeping, Climate, Management Systems

What person does (Putting on PPE, Lifting properly,

Following procedures etc)

DIRECT

MOTIVATE

ABC MODEL (ACTIVATOR – BEHAVIOR – CONSEQUENCE)

THE ABC MODEL Explain why we do what we do.

The Psychology of Safety Handbook (2001). E. Scott Geller’s


Direction & Motivation maintain our behavior



Why people speed ?

Show off Late Others are speeding

No Cops

Open Road

Suny Day

Emergency

Driving sport car

Crash Ticket Waste Gas

Wear & Tear

FunSave TIme

Jail


WEIGHING CONSEQUENCES

Some Consequences AreMore Powerful Than Others

The MOST effective consequences are (*): Certain - There’s a high probability you’ll receive the consequence Soon - The consequence occurs immediately after your behavior Significant - The consequence is significant or meaningful to you

Crash

Ticket

Waste Gas

Wear & Tear

Fun

Save Time

Jail

LESS SIGNIFICANT

MORE SIGNIFICANT

(*) The Psychology of Safety Handbook (2001). E. Scott Geller’s

WHY WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND ‘ABC’ ?

ABC Analysis helps us understand activators and consequences, and how they influence safety behavior.

ESTABLISHING A BEHAVIOR-BASED SAFETY PROCESS

Most behavioral safety processes are tailored to the work and management environment of the site. Despite these variations, all behavioral safety processes have four major components (**):

1. Development of a list of at-risk behaviors,2. Observations, 3. Feedback,4. Improvement.

(**) Good Practices For The Behavior-based Safety Process. US Department of Energy. 2003

Core Features of BBS Program (*):

Observation of workers by workers Extensive training provided to those participating in observation,

particularly the observers Development of a list of "critical worker behaviours" often with input

from workers themselves who are invited and welcomed into the process

Development of ‘model behaviours’ so that workers’ behaviours are measured against their own standards – ie past behaviours.

Substantial management commitment, including financial.

(*) Behaviour Based Safety Programs. Australian Construction & Trade Union

1. Development of a list of at-risk behaviors

The process starts with a behavioral hazard analysis to identify at-risk behaviors.

These can be determined using accident/incident reports, job hazards analysis, employee interviews, and brainstorming. In some instances, a combination of all these tools could be used.

Using the at-risk behaviors, a checklist is then developed to assist in the observation of work behavior. In addition, a list of corresponding behavior definitions is helpful in maintaining consistency between observers and the resulting data.


2. Observation

Observations provide direct, measurable information on employees’ safe work practices.

Employees are observed performing their routine task. The observer documents both safe and unsafe behaviors (safe and at-risk behaviors). They are not evaluations of the person performing the work. The worker’s identity is never recorded on the Observation Data Sheet

The data is then analyzed to determine the employee’s (or department’s) improvement in safe behaviors. It can be looked at as an overall percentage.

Example: If there were 25 items on the checklist and the worker performed 20 of them safely, then he would get a score of 80% safe.

The observation data are used to identify barriers to safe behavior. Removing these barriers lowers the workers’ exposure to at-risk conditions and makes it easier for employees to work safely. Removing barriers and communicating successes increase employee involvement in the process.

3. Feedback

The employee is provided positive feedback on the safe behaviors and non-threatening feedback on the unsafe behaviors. They are also provided with suggestions on correcting the unsafe behaviors.

Feedback is provided to the observed workers immediately upon completion of the observation; the feedback and conversation with the workers is arguably the most important part of the process.

Positive reinforcement and constructive feedback are essential; safe behaviors are noted first, and at-risk behaviors last. Here is where the open communication with the worker is so critical: the observer is not “right” just because he is conducting the observation and the worker is not “wrong” or “caught” if at-risk behaviors are noted.

The worker may not agree with the observed behaviors, and may use the feedback opportunity to inform the observer of his reasons for performing the job as he did.

Observations of multiple workers are also conducted, which often enhances the peer-to-peer aspect of the process and encourages the workers to look out for one another.

Behavior-based Safety Processes In Arctic Oil Spill Respone. Christopher J. Hall. 2005

3. Improvement

The improvement between observations could be graphed and displayed for employees to view. When the graphs shows improvement, it provides positive reinforcing feedback to employees.

Setting improvement goals increases the effectiveness of feedback and the success of the behavior-based safety process.

ESTABLISH PROCESS NEED AND PARAMETERSŸ Assess need for Behavioral Safety Program

Ÿ Determine Goals for processŸ Bring management and workers on boardŸ Appoint Steering Committee/Facilitator

PERFORM SAFETY EVALUATIONŸ Evaluate Incident ReportsŸ Conduct Job Hazard AnalysisŸ Identify At-Risk Behaviors

BASIC BEHAVIOR-BASED SAFETY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Design the Behavioral Safety ProcessŸ Develop rules for ObservationŸ Develop Observation ProcessŸ Establish Feedback Process

Implement the Behavioral Safety ProcessŸ Develop Observer Training/Train ObserversŸ Develop Worker Familiarization Training/Familiarize WorkersŸ Establish Behavioral BaselineŸ Begin Observation/Feedback Process

Maintain the Behavioral Safety ProcessŸ Evaluate Observation DataŸ Improve Process


Steering Commitee (SC)

Basic responsibilities of the SC are:

Develop the at-risk behaviors inventory Participate in the training and coaching of observers to provide for

mentoring the observer process Design the observation process Analyze the observation data Build action plans to respond to the leading indicators seen in the data Ensure that communication with observers is maintained Ensure that BBS is promoted and communicated to all organizational

levels.


OBSERVER

Focusing on peer-to-peer employee observations to identify safe or at-risk behaviors used in completing work assignments.

Observer is a trained personnel perform observations of job performance to identify and record these behaviors.

The observations also identify potentially dangerous systems or procedures in the workplace (observed non-enabled behaviors [unable to control] indicate at-risk situations that are beyond the worker’s control and may indicate the need of an engineering change or administrative control to make the operation safe).

Observer has to make sure that observations are voluntary, anonymous, and conducted openly.

Behavior-based Safety Processes In Arctic Oil Spill Respone. Christopher J. Hall. 2005

INDEX PANTRY AREA Safe At Risk

STEAMER USE

Check Water indicator

Clean sludge from heating plate

Fill water

Cleaning existing spill

MICROWAVE USE

Check if food compatible for microwave

Check if container compatible for microwave

Clean glass plate

Clean inside compartment

Set up approriate timing

Check for fire/spark on aluminium foil

Take out food with protective glove

Cleaning up spill

OBSERVED SAFE BEHAVIORS/GOOD PRACTICES

OBSERVED AT RISK BEHAVIORS

What was observed to be at risk ? Why was it at risk ?

BEHAVIOR BASED SAFETY CHECKLIST

Definition for Critical Behavior:-------------

PERCENT SAFE BY BEHAVIORAL CATEGORY CAN BE GRAPHED

0

20

40

60

80

100

Per

cen

tag

e

Laboratory Process Packaging Q/A Warehouse

Percent Safe by Behavioral Category

PPE

Ergonomic

Tools & Equipment

Mobile Equipment

Housekeeping

Behavioral Safety Management. Ronald R. Kipling. Virginia Tech.

Benefits of Observation and Feedback

Heightened awareness Receive recognition Learn through feedback Learn through observation Builds trust Employees design and lead

Increase commitment Builds trust Fosters communication Anonymous and confidential Dynamic Non-directive Non-punitive

Traditional safety programs vs BBS

Traditional Safety Program focus on:

-‘Accident rate’ safety measures which has several disadvantages:

Reactive (An injury must occur before the system can react)

Not Specific (Do not indicate exactly what needs to be done on-the-job to maintain or improve safety)

Low Impact (Hard to change at-risk behaviors that are at “habit strength”)

Negative (focusing on accident rates highlights worst aspect of work)

From Awareness to Improvement. Changing Aviation Safety Culture. Western Michigan University.

Traditional Safety Programs

Behavior Based Safety :

- Focus on identification of factors that influence an individual’s ability perform safely

Training Equipment Support

- Focus Identification of behaviors or conditions that are critical to performing safely

- Is Proactive — by providing measures of safety targets on-the-job that can be used to avoid injuries- Is Specific — safety target data indicates exactly what can be done to maintain and improve safety- Can Change Attitudes & Culture — higher impact on at-risk behaviors that are at “habit strength”- Is Positive — safety achievements and improvements are the focus

Behavior Based Safety

INITIAL REJECTION FROM WORKER AGAINST BBS PROGRAM

BBS program sometimes raise concern from worker unions for several reasons:

They are uncomfortable with these programs because, no matter how well they disguised in anonimity, the basic assumption is that workers unsafe acts are the cause of workplace injuries and disease.

They think BBS is blaming those with the least say.Just as the great majority of accidents can be attributed to unsafe behaviour by front line workers, the great majority of accidents are at the same time attributable to actions or inactions by management. An example will makethe point.- A worker descending a set of stairs, falls and is injured.

Why did he fall?- He was not using the handrail, as he was required to do by

company policy.Why not?

- He was using both hands to carry tools.Why?

- If he used one hand to hold the rail he would have had to make more than one trip up and down the stairs to get his tools to the lower level.Why didn’t he do this?

- Because there was pressure from the supervisor to get the job done quickly.

(*) Behaviour Based Safety Programs. Australian Construction & Trade Union

CLOSING NOTES

Remember... BBS doesn’t replace:

Training — the knowledge to be safe Safe Equipment — the tools to be safe Engineering Solutions — hazard recognition and elimination Support — commitment & follow through.

From Awareness to Improvement. Changing Aviation Safety Culture. Western Michigan University.

Thank you for your kind attention!

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Presentation & Training - HSE Behavior Based Safety