When safety becomes a spectator sport

Behaviour-Based Safety (BBS) seeks to improve safety using interventions designed to change employee behaviour. We present a thorough examination of its theoretical foundations and key components, implementation challenges, and beneficial organisational contexts.

BBS, as conducted in the framework of a performance management system, involves the commitment of employees and the organisation. Management must commit the time, money, and expertise necessary to ensure that both workers’ safety and the organisation’s safety culture are strengthened. Employees must recognise that safety is tied to personal health and family well-being and commit to the reciprocal responsibility of protecting themselves from unsafe working conditions.

BBS programmes have continued to gain commercial traction and expansion momentum, thanks especially to the emergence of a behaviourally-based compliance component of the newly emerging workplace safety regulatory regime. These programmes pull together and systematise a vast array of scientifically validated and generally accepted behavioural safety strategies. They are designed to directly affect workplace safety through behavioural change. The specific intention is to get employees – especially those at critical exposure – to observe the behaviour of fellow employees and provide feedback along with reinforcement of safety-related rules and procedures.

BBS programmes are generally both data collection systems and feedback systems that help identify existing behaviour issues and unsafe behaviour to consequently capture unsafe events. A good BBS programme captures positive behaviour data and is timely, non-threatening, and concentrated on behaviour issues such as the absence of a hard hat or improper stacking of crates. BBS programmes provide feedback in a great number of formats, such as newsletters, billboard signs, safety rounds, meetings, and more informal approaches.

Implementing a BBS programme requires step-by-step planning, design, and establishment of a team to lead the programme. Once selected, these people will design a programme that includes specific goals, budgets, timelines, key outcomes, roles, and responsibilities. They will also be responsible for selecting the individual metrics to be used in the programme, as well as the tracking mechanisms and processes to assess the safety climate after implementation.

It is also necessary to motivate the involvement of employees and managers so that they do not lose interest in the programme once it has been developed and implemented. Since the aim is to enhance safety behaviour, relying solely on the impact of this behaviour will soon make the programme grow stale. Consequently, innovative ways of sustaining interest in the programme must be found. For example, an annual Best Observation contest could be initiated, where prizes are awarded to the best management and employee observations, coupled with funny prizes for the “worst” observations. Other useful ideas or competitions to keep interest in the programme alive must be developed specifically for individual companies.

OHS set to shine

The Saiosh Annual OHS Conference has established itself as a crucial venue for professionals and experts in the field of OHS to exchange ideas and share experiences about the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in occupational health and safety. The 2025 Saiosh OHS Conference will be no exception: speakers will include a senior official from the Department of Employment and Labour, a professor from Nelson Mandela University, a specialist in occupational medicine, a member from the IOSH presidential team, an OHS legal specialist, a specialist in mental health, a motivational speaker, and others. Register now at www.saiosh.co.zato secure your seat!