Behavior-Based Safety Programs

What is a Behavior-Based Safety Program?

A Behavior-Based Safety Program (BBS), focuses on recording safe and unsafe behaviors and workplace conditions to achieve safety in the workplace. It makes use of trained employees called observers, who conduct on-site safety reviews of other employees and their workplace. Working through observation, a BBS Program functions to improve the safety of the employees and the workplace. 

The observers are encouraged to work with the employees to share what they notice when observing the workplace and employee behavior. Their feedback helps to make the employees more aware of what they are doing right to promote safety, or what they are doing wrong that creates unsafe conditions. This creates a cycle of safety awareness and improvement that benefits the company.

Important fundamental components of a behavior-based safety program usually include but are not limited to: 

• Designating employees as observers to monitor safety behavior
• Collecting EHS data
• Using checklists to monitor important safety behaviors
• Tracking workplace behaviors and measuring how safe or unsafe they are
• Making observations of behavioral patterns
• Working with employees by giving feedback and establishing safer behaviors and workplace conditions

BBS programs don’t only monitor behavior, but also the consequences associated with bad behavior. Understanding the consequences allows for heavier reinforcement of safety rules. With a specific focus on behavior, BBS programs are an effective and influential tool for tracking and improving workplace safety. 

OSHA does not require workplaces to have a BBS program. They do encourage it, however, similar to how they encourage companies to have a safety management system. 

How is a Behavior-Based Safety Program different from a Safety Management System? 

A Safety Management System (SMS) is a complete program or set of programs that are put in motion by the employer to promote workplace safety. It involves safety policies, written commitment statements, risk assessment and resources, safety discussions and training, etc. 

A behavior-based safety program is just one part of an SMS that can be implemented for promoting workplace safety. In an OSHA document concerning recommended practices for safety and health programs, the third recommendation is “Implement a Reporting System.” A BBS program is exactly that, a reporting system that can be implemented in an SMS.

Benefits of a Behavior-Based Safety Program

There are many benefits to an employer who decides to implement a BBS program in their workplace. A few examples of these benefits include:

• Involvement of all personnel in the workplace
• Effective risk assessment
• Safety management roles for employees
• Peer-to-peer safety evaluations
• Continuous feedback between employees
• Easy safety data collection
• Proactive rather than reactive approach to improving safety and workplace conditions

There are very few disadvantages to a BBS program. The disadvantages are only prevalent when trying to measure how effective the program is. For example, the constant review of observation data collected by observers can be tricky to analyze and resolve for the employees. 

The process can be time-consuming depending on the size and circumstances of the workplace. But when implemented with the right resources, the benefits ultimately outweigh the disadvantages. 

Micro Vs. Macro Approach to BBS Programs

The size of the workplace is one of the highest determining factors of how a BBS program should be integrated into an SMS. The methods and resources used to track behavior and improve workplace safety are useful but not always necessary depending on the size of the company. 

A micro company has no determined size, but as a rough estimate, refers to workplaces with fewer than 50 employees. A macro company, on the other hand, will have a significant amount of employees that will make tracking behavior and conditions much more challenging. 50 or more people is a good estimate of what would be considered a macro company. 

The following subsections contain different approaches and tools that can be integrated into a BBS program. They can help companies more easily track safety behaviors and workplace conditions, but may not be necessary depending on the size of the company. 

The ABC Model

A common model for safety in the workplace is the ABC model, which stands for:

• Antecedents: Things to consider before behavior, such as workplace conditions, pressure from the employer, or procedures that influence employees’ behavior. These are what will affect employee behavior overall. 
• Behavior: This refers to the things that employees do and say when working. Factors of behavior that are important to consider are compliance and communication. 
• Consequences: Just as important as the first two, consequences of the behavior and antecedents of the employees in the workplace determine what happens next. This will affect whether changes are made to workplace procedures, employee training, positive reinforcement, etc. 

Changing consequences will always be more impactful than changing the antecedents because it makes employees aware of what can happen if they don’t comply with proper procedures. A clear understanding of consequences is essential to improving safety behaviors and assessing risks in the workplace. This model can be used for both micro and macro companies generally when assessing their workplace. 

Safety Checklists

A useful resource for tracking employee behavior and work conditions are safety checklists. There are certain actions that employees may need to take which can be listed for observers to ensure they are followed. These can include safety steps that observers monitor as employees operate heavy machinery.

For example, training for operating a sit-down forklift teaches employees steps to take before and after operating this machine. Such safety behaviors on the checklist for forklifts would include, pre-shift inspection, clearing the cab floor, putting on the seatbelt, turning on the emergency brake, putting the transmission in neutral, then turning on the engine. A checklist will also help observers assess whether or not safety procedures are being followed properly, and whether or not this affects employee safety. 

Certain steps or procedures based on OSHA standards should not be changed. The manner in which they are done may need to be reconsidered depending on the circumstances of the workplace. Micro companies would probably benefit more from this practice since it is a smaller measure used by observers to implement individually rather than collectively. 

Some basic examples of safety behaviors that can be put on safety checklists are:

• Employees stay alert and pay attention to their surroundings
• Employees wear all necessary personal protective equipment
• Employees keep their workstations clean
• Employees communicate with each other 
• Employees follow proper workplace procedures

EHS Software

There are useful Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) software programs available that can help observers keep track of valuable safety data in the workplace. Using software can be advantageous for a BBS program because it allows for a more thorough evaluation of employee behavior and workplace conditions.  

EHS software is specifically used to manage activities and data in a company such as regulatory compliance and risk factors. It helps to record, track, and analyze all safety behaviors and activities. 

Using software is an option available to all companies, but is not always a necessary one. Micro companies, for example, are probably better off not funding a software program for their BBS program. Macro companies on the other hand would benefit greatly from software that helps them keep track of the safety behaviors of their greater number of employees. 

Insights for Success

Behavior-based safety programs require careful planning, commitment and support from all employees, and an effective structure. This is not always an easy program to integrate into every workplace. Some steps that need to be taken to ensure that a BBS program can succeed are:

• Understanding employer involvement: It would be a mistake to believe that the responsibility lies completely with the employees (which includes the observers) in a BBS program. Employers also need to be active in the process and aware of antecedents they put in place and consequences they reinforce. They are key to leading the program and employees with their example and position. 
• Proper training: It is not enough just to tell employees that they need to observe safety and give feedback. Training on exactly how these processes of the BBS program function in the workplace is essential for it to function effectively. 
• Make it systematic: The BBS program can’t just float around as a good idea and a sporadic activity. It needs to be established as a routine within the company to survive. Application of positive reinforcement and safety feedback meetings are examples of things that need to be done systematically to succeed. 
• Avoid “blame”: Failure to involve the employees, especially those that make mistakes, can result in the program appearing like a “blame” system. If an employee is singled out or treated negatively then it will create a negative perception of the program. Acting as a collective work body for improvement can help prevent this misconception.  
• Give recognition and reward: Good safety behaviors, actions, and ideas for improvement are effective incentives to keep the program in constant rotation. A fair program will help encourage employee involvement. The safety training professionals at Safety Provisions, Inc. are ready to help with any and all safety training issues or concerns.