The American workplace has become safer as new engineering technologies chip away at accident and injury numbers, according to Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) statistics. The National Safety Council has found that improved personal protective equipment, ergonomic alterations to workstations, a better scientific understanding of sleep deprivation and other physiological challenges, have shown some positive results.
Few safety specialists are claiming victory, however, as workers continue to be injured at unacceptable rates (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, “Fatal Injuries to Workers in the United States, 1980-1989: A decade of surveillance.” A significant cause of occupational injuries remains a challenge – human behavior.
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Behavior impacts safety in many ways. David Ahern, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer for The Abacus Group, found in a research study published in the Journal of Occupational Health and Rehabilitation that employees often get hurt because they rush to get work done, perhaps to meet increased production demands, or simply to complete a project before quitting time. They may bypass or override machine safety procedures, fail to wear personal protective equipment, or simply work at an unsafe pace. Behavioral causes may also reside in the actions of other employees. Gus Adams, Ph.D, Executive Vice President for Abacus Service Company, a worker’s compensation management company, has found that equipment that has not been properly maintained may fail in use. A work structure may be erected improperly with a similar result.
An innovative approach called Behavioral Safety has begun to influence these challenges. It’s a systematic, data-driven approach with a proven track record of changing behavior. If used correctly, Behavioral Safety has been shown repeatedly to reduce the frequency of accidents and injuries in the workplace. The Abacus Group developed C.O.S.T. (Comprehensive Occupational Safety Training), a behavioral safety training program through a major research grant from NIOSH. The more than 75 companies that participated in the research study experienced reduced injuries and illnesses and associated costs
The process begins with a broad assessment of how the work environment and unsafe behavior combine to produce risk. The assessment is exacting and results in safe behavioral practices being defined and targeted for change. The emphasis and goal is positive – to increase safe behavior (not to decrease unsafe behavior). Data, not hearsay evidence, are used to evaluate change, so regular observations are made, typically by supervisors, sometimes by co-workers. Observations produce data, which are graphed (usually by department) to clearly depict trends.
Next comes intervention — the right mix of behavior-change procedures designed to promote improvement. Because each organization is unique, the best behavioral safety interventions will be customized, or tailored, to fit the company’s needs. Employees at all levels are involved in the design and implementation of the intervention, which also fosters buy-in. Typically, interventions include on-the-job training, feedback and positive social reinforcement. Some companies build in additional incentives, which can increase long-term effectiveness, but incentives must be designed carefully.
“Sound behavioral safety programs are tailored to meet the needs of the individual company and complement safety engineering efforts. The process involves employees at all levels in program design and implementation,” said Michael J. Follick, Ph.D., President & CEO of The Abacus Group, a local Behavioral Safety Program provider.
Detractors claim that behavioral safety places blame for safety problems on the worker, ignores the role of management, and may be used to bypass needed, but expensive, engineering controls. Behavioral Safety seeks to do neither — it maximizes worker safety by encouraging management and employees alike to take every preventive step possible. That usually means working hand-in-hand with safety engineers – from assessment to intervention – to address the environmental and behavioral causes of injury.
Companies – like A.T. Cross — which have experienced the program’s benefits consider this collaborative approach a long-overdue marriage of safety resources. Look for behavioral safety to be used increasingly as an important complementary piece of the safety puzzle.
Richard Fleming, Ph.D.is a Behavioral Psychologist at The Abacus Group
