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It is conventional wisdom. Don’t do things that can get you hurt. After all, who wants to get hurt? Who wants their life changed because of something that happened at work? I think we can all agree that getting hurt at work really sucks for all involved.
Read MoreHave you heard the old adage: You can’t manage what you can’t measure? Frankly, if you cannot measure something, you’re merely guessing. There is too much at stake in safety to guess. Your job, in fact everyone’s job, indeed the job of ALL your safety management systems and processes is to measure behavior. Because it takes discipline, measurement is the hardest management practice to execute, yet the most essential. And that discipline is practiced through observation.
Read MoreOur attitudes don’t always translate into behaviors. That’s the bottom line. Similarly, attitudes of workers, supervisors and leaders don’t always translate to the critical safety behaviors needed at work. Similarly, values and intentions also don’t always translate to actions either.
Read MoreFear is the Devil of safety programs, while trust is the safety program Saint. It’s true that management actions can reduce fear, but as any leader trying to change a culture knows, you need those small wins to reinforce the trust your workforce can demonstrate when they open up and start to report.
Read MoreFortunately, getting your feelings hurt is NOT a recordable incident. True, no OSHA or other government reporting need be done, no incident investigations must ensue, and I’m not sure it even qualifies as a near miss. Instead, I’d argue it is the opposite of an incident.
Read MoreTo maintain the most optimized processes, we need to foster a safety culture that fosters “attentive human beings” who are on the alert for something out of the ordinary that may result in an injury or process event.
Read MoreThe real threat to driving safety is the autopilot we all develop over a lifetime of driving for personal reasons outside of the work setting.
Read MoreWe hear a lot about Safety Values. Many folks say that we all have to value safety to create a safety culture that will keep incidents down. When pressed on what a “value” is you usually hear something about a feeling, deep down, where “safety is first,” or “caring is a way of life”. I get that and agree… but as someone who trumpets Behavioral Safety I want something more tangible…something I can see… a behavior I can teach and reinforce.
Read MoreFeedback is one of those unique tools that serves as both a consequence and an antecedent to behavior. As a consequence, feedback occurs after the behavior and can reinforce and shape behavior. As an antecedent, feedback helps direct changes in the quality or quantity of subsequent behavior because performance can be compared to a goal, standard, or prior performance.
Read MoreIf you don’t understand variance your view of the world blinds you to risk. Deming said that one of the greatest threats to organizational quality (and safety from my perspective) is “single data-point management” too often practiced by managers who don’t understand the concept of variability.
Read MoreConsider the term “Safety” which is a chameleon of a word. The word used in so many different ways.
Read MoreOur body is equipped with automatic protective wiring that automatically reacts to scary stimuli with a fear response. This Fear reaction can then be transferred to otherwise neutral stimuli through experience.
Read MoreHeinrich asserted nearly 75 years ago, “88% of worker injuries are due to the worker’s unsafe act”. He proposed a Safety Domino Theory
Read MoreIf checklists are to be effective as behavior-management tools, you must manage the behavior of using checklists!
Read MoreI had an opportunity to discuss a hi-po close call with a plant manager at a petrochemical plant recently. He was alarmed at his people who ignored an alarm.
Read MoreGreat safety minds think alike! Listen to our discussion about all things safety culture where we bring in insights and experiences from the field. Even talk a little about Dysfunctional Practices!
Read More“Once you get employees talking, they know the right answers,” he says. “The smartest people in the room are the employees. They're on the front line doing the work. They can tell you what the risks are.”
Read MoreRecently I sat down with Sam Goodman to discuss the tribalism, misunderstandings, and future of Human & Organizational Performance (HOP) and Behavioral Based Safety (BBS).
Read MoreI had been warmly welcomed to South Africa. We were there to work with a mining construction company who wanted to solve their safety challenge. The immensity of this challenge hit us on our day off while we dealt with our jet lag. I had no idea what lessons were in store for me…
Read MoreAs behavior science is called upon more than ever to address a crisis, I’ve reached out to my network of scientists, consultants, and friends to collect their lists of tips, pinpoints, and tactics to sharpen your behavioral approach to this new reality.
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