Human factors: Behavioural safety approaches - an introduction (also known as behaviour modification)

Why is it commonly used?

• Significant number of accidents reportedly caused by inappropriate behaviour
• Good vehicle for management and workforce participation
• Can improve the visibility of managers
• Behaviours and actions influence culture through attitudes and perceptions
• Behaviours determine the performance of systems

Key features

• Define 'safe' and 'unsafe' behaviour
• All involve observation of behaviour in the workplace
  • By managers and/or peers
  • With/without targets
• Provide feedback
  • Reinforce safe behaviour
  • 're-educate' unsafe behaviour
• Feedback ranges from on-the-spot specific feedback and discussion, to impersonalised general data

Advantages

• Discussing safety in the workplace
• Learning to communicate constructively
• Management visibility
• Employee engagement in safety
• Managers/supervisors (when involved)
• Learn to observe
• Learn to act promptly on unsafe acts
• Can learn about safety leadership
• Learn to think about aspects of human factors
• Can provide some leading indicators for safety
• Can actually change behaviour ("cognitive dissonance")
• Will identify dangerous situations

Pitfalls

• Rule violation vs good rules?
• BIG, disciplined effort required
  • Very often fails through lack of real commitment or discipline
  • Some changes will be expensive
• Not 'owned' by everyone
• 'Off the peg' or consultant-led programmes can fail because of poor fit with local style/culture (UK/US)
• Trust levels amongst management and employees must match.
• Lack of friendly communication/Directive style of management

More pitfalls

• May not be compatible with other messages
• Focus on easy, intuitive issues
• Tend to ignore low probability, high consequence risks. 'Boots not leaks' - can draw attention away from process safety
• Can shift onus away from management onto individual
• Don't address significant impacts of management behaviour
• 'Big brother' /blame culture /Oh no, not another programme. . .
• High short-term expectations
• Failed programme = worse situation than start

Inspection & assessment issues

• What is the evidence that behaviour change will improve safety? (as opposed to better procedures or easier to use equipment for example).
• How is the programme linked to the Safety Management System (SMS)?
• How do they address tough issues? (ie costly remedial work, time pressure)
• Do they understand the programme and its strengths and weakness (ie competence)?
• Are programme goals linked to other goals, ie team working?
• What happens when an observation card is completed? (workforce experience vs. management view)
• Are they knowledgeable, intelligent customers?

Advice for companies considering behavioural approaches:  Some Do's and Don'ts

Do

• Be sure that it is really what you need right now
• Find out (from employees) whether signals they get from management about safety are the first issue to address
• Network with others - not only those suggested by the consultants
• Learn what you can from alternative techniques available
• Make sure the system is your own, in style, language, presentation etc.
• Pilot, and only roll-out when confident of success
• Use it as a dialogue – and that means LISTEN to your employees!
• Spend considerable effort to get good, strong facilitators who understand safety
• Make sure that participants focus on root causes of behaviours

Don't

• Underestimate the effort and planning required
• Be over-optimistic
• Get carried away and lose focus on other aspects of safety
• Believe that the 'Heinrich triangle' works for occupational ill-health, minor personal injuries and major accidents
• Bother at all unless:
  • You're confident that you already have a strong SMS and a safe workplace
  • Senior management can be made to think it was their idea all along

Increasing the effectiveness /chance of success

• Ownership - developed in-house is best
• Good fit with organisations needs, culture and SMS
• Commitment (involvement is better) from management
• Good communication and understanding of programme
• Approach seen as 'fair and just' - trust
• Managers act as role models

Summary

• There are many advantages to doing Behavioural Safety
• But these programmes (and cultural change) take time, resources and a concerted effort - senior management commitment
• A useful addition to the toolkit for occupational safety, but limited benefits for the control of major hazards
• Bias towards measurable success; can pull focus away from basics of SMS and process safety
• Must address engineering and systems as well
• Include workforce and management behaviours
• Effectiveness of programme largely depends on existing culture. 

Further information

• Anderson, M. (2004). Behavioural safety and major accident hazards: Magic bullet or shot in the dark?  Conference Proceedings, Hazards XVIII Symposium, 24 November 2004. IChemE, UMIST, Manchester.
• Fleming, M. (2001). Safety culture maturity model. Offshore Technology Report 049. HSE Books, ISBN 0 7176 1919 2.
• Fleming, M. & Lardner, R. (2001). Behaviour modification programmes: establishing best practice. Offshore Technology Report 048. HSE Books, ISBN 0 7176 1920 6.
• Fleming, M. & Lardner, R. (2002). Strategies to promote safe behaviour as part of a health and safety management system. HSE Contract Research Report CRR430, HSE Books, ISBN 0 7176 2352 1
• Step Change (2000).  Changing Minds: A practical guide for behavioural change in the oil and gas industry, website - www.stepchangeinsafety.net

Martin Anderson   FErgS
Health and Safety Executive, 2007