Challenges to Implementing Successful Behavior-Based Safety Programs

The simple methodology of BBS was founded on the principle that you can improve workplace safety by understanding what motivates employees to make unsafe choices on the job.

While BBS programs can be difficult to implement and measure, a successful program will ultimately improve workplace safety.  With the addition of data from predictive analysis, uncovering factors that influence risky decision making can be used to better educate employees on behaviors that affect their safety performance. 

However, when implementing BBS programs, there are common challenges safety executives often encounter:

Don’t shift Your Safety Effort Entirely onto the Employee. 

A successful safety culture requires participation across all managerial levels from executives to front-line workers.  Don’t forget employers must still do their part to minimize risk by educating employees about the potential hazards associated with their role, with regular hazard assessments and training before sending them out on the job.

Employee Engagement is Critical

Recent surveys show that 91% of safety professionals feel the most important element of an effective workplace safety program is direct employee participation.  From that perspective, BBS and engagement go hand in hand.  BBS offers instant recognition for workers for

positive safe behaviors and they feel like valued contributors to the company.

Workers empowered to become safety advocates foster two way communications between management and employee that is an integral part of employee engagement.

BBS Allows You to Move from Negative to Positive Safety Culture

In the past, safety managers often relied on punishment rather than using positive reinforcement to shape employee behavior.  In a BBS program management can introduce a corrective action process for spotting hazards in which that safe behavior is rewarded.

 This in turn helps to build a celebratory safety culture where you can expect an environment where positive safe behaviors are increased, hazards are minimized incidents are reduced.

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