Can behavioural safety directly reduce accidents at work?

Critics of behavioural safety (aka behaviour-based safety), of which there are many, argue a focus on behaviour [a] shifts responsibility for safety from management and blames workers for poor safety, leading to the underreporting of incidents, and [b] ignores the impact of systems and unsafe conditions in driving unwanted behaviour. This has led to many ‘newer’ safety approaches emphasising a focus on fixing the system instead, although research supports the need to focus simultaneously on both behaviours and systems.

Without doubt, some of the criticisms have been justified by poor implementation of a process and/or processes lacking in managerial and leadership support. However, does that mean behavioural safety is not worth pursuing to prevent injuries and improve safety performance?

Behavioural safety is simply an element of a safety management system that sits at the crossroads where people, systems, working environment and company culture converge; these are all considered precursors of behaviour.

Common assumptions

·       The assumptions underpinning behavioural safety are that:

·       behaviour is often the final trigger for an incident/injury;

·       a small proportion of work-related behaviours are implicated in the lion’s share of injuries;

·       focusing on behaviours associated with incidents/injuries will reduce them;

·       people respond to performance feedback;

·       regular safety observations and conversations provide the basis for focused performance feedback and corrective action(s); and

·       attending to any precursor conditions driving unwanted behaviour will help sustain behaviour change

Source – shponline.co.uk