BBS and its process and and and importance

BEHAVIOR BASED SAFETY
BBS is a technique for modifying behavior of workers to
make them work safely.
Focuses on workers' behavior as the cause of most work-
related injuries and illnesses.
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).

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
Fun
Save
TIme
Jail

WEIGHING CONSEQUENCES
Some Consequences Are
More 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
(*)

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

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 PARAMETERS
Ÿ Assess need for Behavioral Safety Program
Ÿ Determine Goals for process
Ÿ Bring management and workers on board
Ÿ Appoint Steering Committee/Facilitator
PERFORM SAFETY EVALUATION
Ÿ Evaluate Incident Reports
Ÿ Conduct Job Hazard Analysis
Ÿ Identify At-Risk Behaviors
BASIC BEHAVIOR-BASED SAFETY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
Design the Behavioral Safety Process
Ÿ Develop rules for Observation
Ÿ Develop Observation Process
Ÿ Establish Feedback Process
Implement the Behavioral Safety Process
Ÿ Develop Observer Training/Train Observers
Ÿ Develop Worker Familiarization Training/
Familiarize Workers
Ÿ Establish Behavioral Baseline
Ÿ Begin Observation/Feedback Process
Maintain the Behavioral Safety Process
Ÿ Evaluate Observation Data
Ÿ 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
Percentage
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!
THE END

BBS and its process and and and importance

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