Michael O’Toole, PhD Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

 Behavior Based Safety  Where did it come from?  Origins in psychology  B.F. Skinner/Watson/Thorndike Michael O'Toole, PhD

What triggers or causes behaviors? What it is that the employee does What follows the behavior? Positive+ Negative- A NTECEDENTS B EHAVIORS C ONSEQUENCES MEASUREMENT & FEEDBACK HOW AM I DOING?

 Behavioral Safety  Any number of approaches that focus on the behaviors of employees  Identify and correct unsafe/at-risk behaviors before an incident  All attempt to use some form of observation of employee job performance  Supervisors  Peers  Self Michael O'Toole, PhD

 Keys to a successful BBS process  Planning  Like a good story  Who, what, where, when, why and how  Who is going to champion the process?  Who is going to manage the process?  Who is going to conduct observations?  Who is going to ensure follow-up? Michael O'Toole, PhD

Six Critical Elements of a Behavior Based Safety Process Include…. Reduce Incidents Communications Training Reinforcement Measurement Leadership Commitment Leadership Commitment Process Management

 Why conduct structured observations?  Leverages “behavior sampling” to paint a clearer picture of risks  Provides more objective data on which to guide continuous improvement of the organization’s safety and health processes  Further clarifies expectations related to safety and health aspects for both supervisor and employee Michael O'Toole, PhD

 What jobs or tasks are we going to observe?  Injury or property damage history  High risk high hazard jobs  High frequency jobs  Intermittent jobs  Need to have a standard  Standard Operating Procedures  Equipment manuals  Regulations  Consensus standards  ANSI, NFPA, ASTM, etc Michael O'Toole, PhD

 Who and How are observations to be completed?  By supervisors  Advantages  Part of their job  Basic responsibility to ensure safety of workers  Additional avenue to demonstrate management’s support  Increases employee involvement  Disadvantages  Another burden  Tool to “get” employees  Deflect blame Michael O'Toole, PhD

 Who and How are observations to be completed?  By Peers  Advantages  Less of a threat  Familiar with how the job “is really done”  Opportunity for increased safety engagement  Disadvantages  Less objective  Won’t “rat out” peers  Pencil whipping paperwork  Fail to make connection with improved safety Michael O'Toole, PhD

 Who and How are observations to be completed?  Self-observations  Advantages  No additional personnel  Forces reflection on task procedures  Cognitive dissonance  Disadvantages  Deception  Pencil whipping  Fear of reprisal Michael O'Toole, PhD

 When are observations to be completed?  Depends on the size of the organization.  Daily – too often?  Weekly – balanced?  Monthly – not often enough?  Where are observations to be completed?  At the site/location where the task is being performed. Michael O'Toole, PhD

 How are observations to be compiled?  Paper and pencil  Manually entered into computer  Database or spreadsheet  PDA data logger  Data are transferred into computer database  OR…NOT AT ALL! Michael O'Toole, PhD

 Behavior Based Safety…or not?  Not a silver bullet  Not a program….it is a process  All else must be in good shape  Must “fit” the organization’s culture  Must be integrated into already successful safety and health processes Michael O'Toole, PhD

 Disadvantages  Becomes a program  flavor of the month  Perceived by employees as another means to shift blame to employees  Game the system  Achieving the target is the focus rather than true continuous improvement  Becomes a bureaucratic nightmare  Doesn’t fit the organization’s culture  Seen as a fix to all the unsolved problems Michael O'Toole, PhD

 Advantages  Increases Management’s opportunity to visibly demonstrate support for safety  Increases opportunities for all employees to be more engaged and participative in the safety and health process  Provides employees and the organization valuable feedback for continuous improvement  Provides critical leading indicators of safety performance Michael O'Toole, PhD

17 Questions? Michael O'Toole, PhD