Behavioural safety
Promoting safe behaviour at work is a critical part of the
management of health and safety. Good behaviour turns health
and safety management systems and operational procedures into
reality and can be used to minimise errors, and reduce potential
for accidents and near misses. In effect reduce the base of
the “accident triangle”.
Key benefits
Significant organisational benefits are associated with
introduction of behavioural safety programmes. This is not
just restricted to health and safety. The benefits
include:
- Significant reduction in number of accidents caused by
inappropriate behaviour
- Good opportunity for management and workforce
participation
- Can improve visibility of managers
- Behaviours and actions influence culture through attitudes and
perceptions
- Behaviours determine the performance of systems
Significant risks are often ignored at expense of high frequency
“attrition risks” e.g. slips and trips v fire and explosion.
Key features
Behavioural safety programmes involve workplace observation of
unsafe acts or conditions, with a procedure for follow-up action
and reporting system.
Behavioural safety programmes typically require:
- Organisational readiness
- Definition of “safe” and “unsafe” behaviour
- All staff to be involved in observation of behaviour in
workplace
- Feedback on observations
- Reinforcement of safe behaviour
- Intervention and re-education to prevent unsafe behaviour
Organisational readiness
Before commencing a behavioural safety programme organisations
will need to establish “their readiness”. Indeed changing
individual behaviour without considering necessary changes to how
people are organised, managed, motivated, rewarded and their
physical work environment, tools and equipment, can result in
treating the symptom only and result in damage to credibility and
effectiveness of an existing health and safety management
system.
IOSH Food and Drink BS project
IOSH food and drink committee has established a working group to
develop a best practice guide for development of Behavioural Safety
programmes within food and drink industry.
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