Why does behavioural safety matter to an organisation?

Behavioural safety may seem straightforward and self-explanatory, but it's more complex than it seems, carrying deeper sense of purpose related to safety and well-being. Before we begin discussing how behavioural safety can be important within an organisation, it is essential to differentiate it from safety culture. Safety culture serves as the foundation for an organisation's health and safety success, ensuring safe operations throughout the year.

The United Kingdom (UK) Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines safety culture as the product of individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies, and patterns of behaviour that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organisation's health and safety management. 

Behavioural safety differs from safety culture but it's a very important component to improve the overall safety culture of an organisation, hence making the two intrinsically connected. Behavioural safety focuses on identifying and addressing unsafe human behaviours that may lead to accidents, incidents and near misses. Everyone has bad habits, and while this is natural, such habits can lead to health and safety risks. Addressing and changing them is key to creating a safer workplace.

Human behaviours are complex and difficult to explain, we tend to bring to our job personal attitudes, skills, habits, and personalities and that has profound implications on the health and safety performances. Some personalities are fixed and cannot be changed but other skills and attitude may be changed or enhanced by appropriate training and guidance etc. However, at the end of the day, it remains at the employees' discretion whether to adhere to safe working procedures or not and this is where everything becomes complicated.

To further understand this complexity, an important aspect can be highlighted here in relation to training and competencies of employees. Regardless of how many training sessions an individual has completed or how many years of experience they possess, human factors cannot be ignored. 

These factors include unintentional behaviours e.g., slips and  lapses of memory, habitual behaviours e.g., rule-based mistakes & knowledge-based mistakes and conscious behaviour e.g., routine, situational & exceptional. Therefore, behavioural safety is often used to track and analyse the number of accidents, incidents, and near misses caused by unsafe behaviours. In fact, the HSE in the UK reports that up to 80 per cent of accidents are attributable to unintended actions such as slips, lapses, and mistakes.

Based on my experience, a wide array of unsafe behaviours can significantly compromise workplace health and safety. Common examples include fire doors wedged open using fire extinguishers, neglecting to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as safety glasses and hard hats, driving through exit gates, exceeding site speed limits, leaving power tools such as grinders plugged in during breaks, tailgating resulting in barrier damage, climbing over safety fences, unauthorised entry into restricted areas without proper PPE etc.

Let us pick up one example from the above is the fire door wedged open with a fire extinguisher. Upon questioning the workers involved, it was discovered that they were using the fire door as a shortcut to access the toilet and the operational yard. While reminding workers that fire doors must always remain closed to prevent fire spread and containment issues, the common response was that 'they have been doing it for many years, and nothing has happened before.'

This kind of behaviour falls under safety violations, as it is a conscious decision despite knowing it is wrong. Moreover, it reflects a poor safety attitude. It is just one example of many where behaviours and attitudes can bring down a good safety culture of an organisation.    

I have observed numerous instances where employees failed to follow safety procedures. In some cases, this was due to being in a rush to complete the tasks, hence ignoring the safety procedures. However, more often, complacency was the root cause - workers got so used to things being done the same way that they do not always look at the hazards in their surroundings, they ignore to carry out point of work risk assessment (POWRA). 

It is always beneficial to speak directly with the individual involved to understand underlying causes of unsafe behaviours and attitudes. These may stem from slips or lapses in memory, rule-based mistakes or knowledge-based mistakes or even conscious decisions to disregard safety procedures.

Obtaining this information is important which in essence help preventing recurrence. For instance, if the behaviour was due to a lapse in memory, a simple reminder and reinforcement of safety procedures may be sufficient. However, if the act was a deliberate violation, disciplinary action may be necessary.

I have also come across numerous instances of risk-taking behaviours among contractors. A common issue is the failure to wear the right PPE, which can set a poor example and encourage others to disregard safe practices.

It is important for managers and supervisors to recognise the influence of group social norms on safety behaviour. By setting a positive example and actively promoting safe practices, they can help reinforce a culture of safety and accountability.

Leadership and management styles significantly influence an organisation's health and safety culture, shaping its actual safety behaviours. It is crucial to lead by example, demonstrating commitment through actions rather than just telling people what to do. Leaders must reflect on their own behaviours, both individually and collectively, as employees look up to them. Any unsafe practices by management will not go unnoticed and can undermine safety commitments, ultimately harming both the organisation and employees' mindset.

Behavioural safety matters because it's one of the key elements in strengthening an organisation's overall safety culture. By focusing on the actions, decisions, and attitudes of individuals in the workplace, behavioural safety initiatives help identify and correct unsafe practices before they lead to accident, incidents and near misses. Violations of workplace safety standards can lead to significant legal liabilities, financial losses, and moral implications for the organisation.

Furthermore, behavioural safety extend beyond the workplace, can influence personal and social lives. When individuals consistently practice safe behaviours at work, these habits often carry over into their daily lives. This reinforces a mindset of responsibility and risk awareness that contributes to safer homes, roads, and communities. Put simply, maintaining a strong safety culture at work can lay the foundation for safer behaviour in all aspects of life.

Yousuf Jamil is a UK-based Health, Safety, Quality & Environmental professional. yousuf.jamil@gmail.com