| Behavior-based safety and psychological basis for behavior control |
Behavior
Control vs. Personal Responsibility
In recent years, seminars at national and regional safety conferences
emphasizing the psychology of safety have attracted standing-room-only
crowds.
Here are some of the talks offered through the American Society
of Safety Engineers, the Industrial Accident Prevention Association,
and the National Safety Council:
- Managing Safe Behavior for Lasting Change
- Behavior-based safety management and
parallels with the quality process
- The Psychology of Injury Prevention
- Behavioral management techniques for
continuous improvement
Behavior-management theory does not always sound good. We equate
it with psychological experiments in which rats are prodded to jump
through hoops. Yet there is a solid body of evidence that behavior
is motivated by its consequences, so that behavior can be directed
by providing an appropriate response.
It is the foundation of positive reinforcement.
The alternative to a behavior-based program
might seem to be one of personal responsibility.
It seems logical to assume that educated workers work safely because
they are upstanding, responsible citizens. We expect a person who
knows the risks (education) and is given the tools (administrative
and engineering controls) to work safely. But we know that this
does not always happen. Crew members take short cuts, individuals
develop unsafe habits (behaviors).
Policing, frequent reminders and more education reduce the possibility
of unsafe behaviors, but they are no guarantee that
these will not occur if the benefits of the unsafe behaviors are
seen to outweigh the risks.
Behavior theory says that people take chances because of perceived
rewards (consequences). So when driving, they may
speed to reach a destination more quickly, or at work, they may
remove a machine guard to accomplish a task faster.
The challenge in a behavior-based safety program is to reward safe
behavior, and not to reward unsafe behavior. Drivers or machine
operators must not be rewarded solely for getting there faster or
accomplishing tasks quicker. They must only be rewarded if they
also carry out their responsibilities safely—safety must be
made intrinsic to the task.
Behavior-management is of great interest in managing safety, as
it has been shown time and time again that the best way to reduce
injuries is to avoid unsafe behaviors. If you can get your crew
to follow safe behaviors all the time,
the possibility of injury is greatly reduced.
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