Safety Leadership

A user on one of the behavior-based safety (BBS) sections of Linkedin.com recently stated that he thought BBS was one of the “simpler” elements of an organization’s safety management system. Though I did not respond at the time, I considered that this comment was probably made by someone whose only experience with BBS was a STOP system, or one of the other relatively basic observation programs promoted by a number of organizations and practitioners.

For readers who have not heard of Andrew Hopkins, this work will reveal the author’s profound understanding of the crucial role of leadership in managing occupational health and safety. Hopkins’ crystal-clear writing style paints the big picture by placing responsibility and accountability for safety at the doorstep of top management.

Terry E. McSween, Quality Safety Edge

Recently, I have seen more clearly than ever, the biggest error made by managers that often prevents them from being good leaders. Truly, I think it is an issue that affects much more than just business, but rather is one of the most significant issues in all relationships: our families, our schools, and all institutions that come to mind.

What do I consider the biggest error made by many managers? A good many of you have probably guessed, based on your own experience. It is really very simple: managers are often overly critical of almost everything done by their associates. Here in Texas we have an old saying related to the issue, “Any fool can burn down a barn, but it takes skill to build one.”

By Tarek Abousaleh

When deciding on a behavior-based safety (BBS) process, it is important to take into account more than simply whether there is a need for behavior change in order to reduce incidents and injuries. In addition to recognizing the need for members of the organization to join together in taking responsibility for reducing incidents, an analysis of the rules and contingencies of the workplace should be completed.