Behavior Based Safety

        

    Behavioral Safety Services
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The Values-Based Safety^™ Approach to
          Behavioral Safety
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Workshop: Creating a Values-Based
          Behavioral Safety Process
Observer Training Support
Behavioral Ergonomics:
          Workshops and Implementation Services
The Benefits of Ergonomics Training For
          Behavioral-Safety Teams
Serious Incident Prevention

Behavioral safety, sometimes referred to as behavior-based safety, is simply the use of behavioral psychology to promote safety. Behavioral safety within an organization typically involves 1) creating a systematic, ongoing process that defines a finite set of behaviors that reduce the risk of work-related injury, 2) collecting data on the frequency of critical safety practices, and then 3) ensuring that feedback and reinforcement encourage and support those critical safety practices. In a typical behavioral process, employees conduct observations and provide feedback to associates within their work areas. These observations provide data that is used for problem recognition, problem-solving, and continuous improvement.

Today's behavioral safety initiatives also draw heavily on traditions of total quality management (TQM) and organizational development. Behavioral safety involves employees in both conducting observations within their work areas and participating in teams that analyze the resulting data; the teams then developing action plans targeting improvements in safe practices. Quality Safety Edge (QSE) has developed Values-Based Safety^®, a proven approach that utilizes a behavioral approach to clarify and strengthen the values necessary to sustain successful safety process.

Cost Estimator

Would you like a rough estimate of what a behavioral safety project for your organization might cost? Our Estimator will give you a "ballpark estimate" based on a few simple questions, although we will welcome the opportunity to talk with you in detail before giving you a proposal containing a more precisely defined figure.

Questions to Ask

Before deciding on a behavioral safety consultant to help your company establish a process, here are ten questions you should ask.

Introductory Readings

Improve Your Safety Program with a Behavioral Approach by Grainne Matthews, Ph.D. and Terry McSween, Ph.D.

An update of the classic 1993 paper below. A Behavioral Safety process is the only method proven to improve safe practices through a positive, employee driven, and continuously improving process. A behavioral process also allows companies to harness the power of company and individual values for safety. This creates a culture where managers and employees work safely for the right reasons rather than one where people simply follow procedures to avoid punishment.

The Values-Based Safety Process by Terry McSween, Ph.D.

An overview of Values-Based Safety in a drilling company. Today’s behavioral safety systems have two distinct elements: a behavioral observation process and a team-based management process.

Improve Your Safety With a Behavioral Approach by Terry McSween, Ph.D.
(Published in Hydrocarbon Processing, 1993)

Step-by-step guide to creating a successful Behavioral Safety process

Mejorando su Seguridad con un Enfoque Conductual by Terry McSween, Ph.D.

The Hydrocarbon Processing (1993) paper, in Spanish

Keys to a Successful Behavioral Safety Process by Terry McSween, Ph.D.
ASSE Region III Professional Development Conference and Exposition, San Antonio, August 4, 2004, and also at the Edison Electric Institute's EEI Occupational Safety & Health Conference, Houston, April 25, 2005.

Six keys to success in BBS.

Advanced Topics

Advanced Topics in Behavior-Based Safety by Terry E. McSween, Ph.D.

A number of keys to enhancing the BBS process' success are discussed, among them, employee ownership of the process, monitoring the process and uses of data, celebration and recognition.

Advanced Topics: Adding Leadership Observations by Terry McSween, Ph.D.

After years of promoting "employees only" observations, how do you transition to management participation in observations?

Creating a "Point of Contact" for Behavioral Safety by Terry McSween, Ph.D.

One of the keys to the success of a behavior-based safety process is establishing an effective Steering Committee to oversee and manage the process.

The Complacency Index: The Value of Voluntary Observations by Terry McSween, Ph.D.

There are tradeoffs in the steering committee's decision whether to make observations voluntary or mandatory. You might get higher numbers of observations if they are mandatory, but they will be of lesser quality.

But What About Our Contractors? by Terry McSween, Ph.D.

We are glad to see more companies concerned about the safety of their contract employees. Such organizations want to know to what extent the contractors should be involved in the behavior-based safety process. There is no "one size fits all" answer. Instead, it depends on the extent to which the organization depends on contract employees and the nature of their work. One good idea is to include observer training in the new employee orientation process for contractors as well as employees.

Safety Leadership by Terry McSween, Ph.D.

Certain practices serve as the framework for supporting Values-Based Safety®. Executives and Sponsors must model these behaviors for the teams involved in the Values-Based Safety® implementation and for employees participating in the process. These behaviors will help you support the Design Team and Steering Committees in the organization as they bring about change the “right” way.

Keeping Your Process Evergreen: Using Your Data by Terry McSween, Ph.D.

One of the long-term challenges that companies encounter is sustaining interest and participation in their behavior-based safety initiatives. Building interest and participation is almost always a matter of ensuring that all of the critical elements are in place, then sustaining the integrity of each of those elements. Generally, organizations that struggle with sustaining their initiatives have problems in one of three areas: effective use of the safety data, appropriate leadership support and involvement, or recognition and celebrations

Keeping Your Process Evergreen: Recognition and Celebrations by Terry McSween, Ph.D.

While recognition and celebrations are critical to a robust behavior-based safety (BBS) process, they are often conducted poorly or even ignored. Reinforcement is the ultimate key to a successful BBS process. Do it well and your process will thrive; do it poorly and your process will struggle.