It is estimated that human behaviour contributes to around 80% of accidents in the workplace, so employers should consider how behavioural safety can help to create safer workplaces.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 561,000 non-fatal workplace accidents occurred in 2022/23. Of these accidents, slips, trips and falls were the most common. Accidents like these can occur through workplace hazards or human error, or a combination of both.
In this guide we discuss what behavioural safety is and how it can be implemented to improve safety performance.
What does ‘behavioural safety’ mean?
Behavioural safety refers to health and safety approaches that focus on potentially ‘unsafe’ human behaviour that may result in accidents. It is often described as tackling habitual (repeated behaviour). It may be that an individual engages in the behaviour unconsciously without awareness of potential dangers.
A concept that has been around since the 1930s with the advent of Heinrich’s triangle, behavioural safety aims to build safe habits in individuals by challenging potentially unsafe behaviour. Behavioural safety puts the attention on individuals rather than the employers, implying that workplace health and safety guidelines are effective only to a point.
Because behavioural safety methods aim to modify behaviour, it is also sometimes referred to as behavioural modification.
How does behavioural safety affect workplace health and safety?
Behavioural safety views employees as having direct control over hazardous behaviour they engage in, such as taking shortcuts or carrying too many items. Employees might engage in this behaviour even when it is warned against in an organisation’s written health and safety policies. Reasons for this include:
- Time pressure. Employees may feel the need to cut corners or take shortcuts to save time, believing that it helps them meet deadlines or be more productive.
- Lack of awareness. Employees may be unaware of the risks associated with their actions or may not fully understand the potential consequences. In some cases, they may genuinely believe that the unsafe behaviour poses no harm because they lack an understanding about the hazards involved.
- Sometimes employees misunderstand procedures or guidelines. They might misinterpret instructions or be unclear about the correct way to perform a task safely.
- Workplace culture. Workplace culture and long-standing practices can influence behaviour. Phrases like, “we’ve always done it this way” reflect a resistance to change and a cultural acceptance of unsafe practices.
- Supervisor influence. The behaviour of supervisors can play a significant role. If supervisors turn a blind eye to unsafe practices or prioritise speed and productivity over safety, employees may follow suit to avoid consequences or meet performance expectations.
- Ergonomic factors. Inappropriately designed machinery, controls or workstations can lead to unsafe behaviour. Employees may be forced to work in ways that strain their bodies or increase the risk of accidents.
- If employees have not experienced accidents or incidents in the past while engaging in unsafe behaviour, they may become complacent and believe that the actions are safe.
- Perceived efficiency. Employees might perceive unsafe behaviour as more efficient, thinking it allows them to get tasks done more quickly.
Health and safety policies have played a major role in reducing the number of workplace injuries, accidents and deaths since the introduction of the Health and Safety Act in 1974. As a direct result of this Act, non-fatal injuries in the workplace fell by 70% between 1974 and 2007. Workplace fatalities also fell by 74% in the same period.
Behavioural safety strategies complement health and safety policies by focusing on the human element and encouraging a proactive approach to safety, ultimately reducing workplace risks and accidents.
How to implement behavioural safety
In the workplace, health and safety is viewed as the responsibility of the management. These behaviours can be hard to unlearn because unconscious behaviour results from months or years of unchallenged actions.
It is important to remember that there is no one correct way to implement behavioural safety. The term applies to a collection of frameworks, and what framework is used depends on the organisation and its circumstances. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach, a basic behavioural safety framework may look something like this:
Define safe and unsafe behaviour
Define what counts as ‘safe’ and ‘unsafe’ behaviours in your specific workplace by working with employees and safety experts. Develop clear and concise safety guidelines and procedures that employees can easily understand and follow.
Observation
Train designated observers or safety champions to regularly observe and document employee behaviour. Use a checklist or digital tool to record observations of both safe and unsafe behaviours. Encourage employees to report unsafe behaviours without fear of reprisals. Discuss these behaviours and the potential risks with employees.
Leadership and commitment
Ensure that top management is committed to promoting a safety culture. Clearly communicate the importance of behavioural safety to all employees. Encourage employees to self-report unsafe behaviour without fear of reprisal.
Feedback and communication
Provide constructive feedback to employees when unsafe behaviours are observed. Engage in open and non-punitive communication with employees about their actions. Emphasize the potential risks associated with unsafe behaviours, explain what can be done to mitigate the unsafe behaviour and the importance of corrective actions.
Involve employees
Involve employees in the decision-making process related to safety measures. Encourage them to actively participate in safety committees, discussions, initiatives, and they could be part of conducting risk assessments. Foster a sense of ownership and responsibility among employees for their own safety and the safety of their colleagues.
Training and education
Offer relevant training and education to employees on safety procedures and best practices. This could be in the form of eLearning behavioural safety training or attending health and safety seminars.
Ensure employees understand why certain behaviours are unsafe and the consequences they may entail. Provide resources, such as safety manuals and instructional materials to support training.
Our IOSH Working Safely course ensures employees understand their responsibilities for health and safety in the workplace, and that they know how to identify hazards and manage risks to protect themselves, their colleagues and your organisation.
Corrective actions
Implement corrective actions and interventions to address unsafe behaviours. Collaborate with employees to identify and implement practical solutions to mitigate risks associated with unsafe behaviours. Encourage employees to suggest improvements and share their insights on safety issues.
Monitoring and follow-up
Monitor employee behaviours to track improvements after training and assess the effectiveness of interventions. Regularly review safety data and reports to identify trends and areas that require additional attention.
Conduct follow-up observations to ensure sustained behaviour change.
Recognition and reward
Recognise and reward employees who consistently demonstrate safe behaviours. Establish a system of positive reinforcement to motivate employees to prioritise safety. Use both tangible rewards and verbal recognition to acknowledge safe practices.
Continuous improvement
Regularly review and refine your behavioural safety program based on feedback, data, and changing circumstances. Adapt the program to address emerging safety concerns or evolving workplace conditions.
Behavioural safety is an ongoing process and success depends on the commitment of all levels of the organisation. Creating a culture of safety and making safety a core value will help ensure sustained effectiveness.
What are the pitfalls with behavioural safety?
A central belief of behavioural safety is that workplace injuries are a result of unsafe acts by employees.
Critics of behavioural safety would argue that the main cause of injuries is failings in the management of health and safety. This is because before an accident can occur, there must be a hazard. If a hazard results in an accident or injury, the blame falls on management for not identifying it and then removing or mitigating the risk.
For example, an employee may slip on an unclean warehouse floor. The employer may say it is the fault of the employee for not looking where they were walking or for wearing the wrong footwear, but the employee could say that it’s the employer’s fault for the floor not being clean. In reality, all these factors have contributed to the accident.
Behavioural safety also overlooks the Hawthorn effect – when those who know they are being observed change their behaviour to match what the observer expects/wants to see. Employees who know they are being observed for ‘unsafe’ behaviour may avoid doing so, but once they are no longer being watched, they may revert to less safe behaviours.
While the Hawthorn effect and a possible over-emphasis on human actions rather than the removal and management of hazards must be taken into account, behavioural safety can play an important role in improving workplace health and safety.
How can behavioural safety improve workplace health and safety?
Behavioural safety leadership is the key to changing people’s behaviour to improve safety. Effective safety leadership can impact people’s behaviour by 86% and decrease incidents by 35%.
A study into behaviour-based intervention for occupational safety has shown that implementing behaviour-based safety training, increasing the quality and frequency of feedback, and promoting open communication between employers and employees reduces accidents and incidents.
The key is to build a culture of trust in which employees know they are part of a team and feel empowered to take ownership of their own safety.
To learn more about behavioural safety and how you can strengthen your health and safety strategies, contact us about our safety management consultation service. We can help you develop ISO 45001 compliant workplace health and safety policies that will facilitate proactive and reactive actions from employees and industry professionals alike.
