Why behavior based safety is important

It’s a sunny Tuesday and Paul, an EHS manager, is starting his day at a manufacturing facility. He receives an email informing him that there has been a recent increase in incidents concerning ladders, but the reason this keeps happening is unknown. What should Paul’s next step be? You guessed it! Conduct a behavior based safety observation to get a better understanding of why this is occurring.  

A successful behavior based safety observation program can help reduce incidents and injuries, as well as improve worker safety and participation. When an organization has a system in place to track and analyze the factors influencing risky decision making, this data can be leveraged to better educate employees on safety best practices and empower them to make safe decisions.  

But first, let’s start with the basics…   

What is behavior based safety?

Behavior based safety is a process where trained individuals assess behaviors conducted by employees on the job site. These observations, called behavior based safety observations, allow them to evaluate workplace safety. It’s also a way in which workers can pinpoint root causes behind certain types of behavior to understand why it's occurring.  

Who is responsible for conducting behavior based safety observations?

Selected, trained workers usually conduct these observations. What do we mean when we say “trained”? Those carrying out these observations must have a lot of experience carrying out this task and receive the necessary training needed to be able to effectively coach workers and provide feedback. It’s important these individuals know how to work with employees to implement the necessary corrective actions to rectify any unsafe behaviors observed.   

3 things organizations often get wrong

To help you get the most out of your behavior based safety program, we want to take a closer look at three common challenges organizations face when implementing a behavior based safety program and how to overcome them. 

1. Focusing solely on the negative

A challenge many employers face is focusing solely on the negative when conducting behavior based safety observations. If employees are fearful of being reprimanded or terminated for pointing out unsafe aspects of a job site, they will be less likely to report hazards which will ultimately increase the frequency of workplace incidents.   

BBSO’s should not be thought of as a chance to point out what employees are doing wrong, but what they are doing right! Observers must understand why employees are doing things the right way, to properly communicate this action or method to others and this must be continuously reinforced with the team.   

Observers should also use this as an opportunity to commend employees for practicing safe behaviors seen during the observation. Implementing a behavior based safety program that’s built on a celebratory safety culture will help employees speak up when they see something amiss, which will help reduce risks and hazards and create a safer work environment.   

2. Considering quantity, not quality

Certain organizations are incentivized to conduct several BBSO’s to fulfill a certain quota. Rather than focusing on the quantity of observations, management should focus on the quality of these observations to help reach the larger goal of a stronger safety program.   

For example, an element some organizations often miss is getting to the root cause of the unsafe behavior observed, hurting the overall quality of the observation. It’s important to note that a behavior based safety program can easily backfire if the safety onus is shifted entirely onto the employee, as a multitude of factors must be considered when looking at root cause analysis.   

A successful safety culture requires participation across all levels of the organization, from management to front-line workers. This means that rather than simply blaming and shaming employees for unsafe behavior, employers must also do their part to minimize risk by educating employees about the potential hazards associated with their role, regularly conducting hazard assessments, and ensuring the workforce is correctly trained before sending them out on the job.  

3. A lack of employee empowerment to boost engagement rates

One of the key elements of a safe work environment is a workforce which is engaged and invested in safety. With that in mind, it’s not surprising behavior based safety programs often fail due to a lack of worker participation.  

As the employer, it’s your responsibility to ensure that safety is top of mind for your workers out in the field and make sure they feel like valued contributors to your company’s safety culture. Empowering your workers to become engaged safety advocates starts with facilitating open, two-way communication between on-site employees and your management team.   

When safety issues do arise in the field, workers must be able to easily identify and communicate them to leadership so they can be resolved quickly together. Letting workers know their input is valuable and that they have a vital role to play in creating a safe workplace will help to boost participation rates in safety activities and improve overall safety culture.   

How EcoOnline can help 

The EcoOnline EHS management solution can help strengthen your organization’s behavior based safety program through its robust capabilities. Empower your people by giving them the ability to easily conduct BBSO’s directly from their mobile device.  

With our Observations Module, you can document at-risk and positive beahviors, assign corrective actions, and schedule recurring observations through. This way, both observers and employees can act quickly together to reduce risks and hazards on-site, creating a safer work environment for all. 

To find out more about behavior based safety programs and observations, check out our guide now.