Behavior-Based Safety: How Effective Is It in Preventing Workplace Accidents?

Friends,

Behavior-based safety is now being discussed all over the world. It is spreading like a virus and being interpreted differently. Can anyone come out with the usefulness of it in accident prevention work, please?

Thank you.

Sir,

There is a fishbone model, or ABC model, in which we can focus on the problem and find out its causes by brainstorming and talking to employees and contracted workers. Among all the causes we identify, we can then focus on the root causes and work to eliminate them. For example, on the given slide, we can explore the reasons why people don't follow safety protocols. We can then concentrate on the main reasons or root causes and eliminate them.

Regards,
Hansa Vyas

Hello all,

I have come across some more information about BBS, so I thought to share it with you all.

Regards,
Hansa Vyas

Hi Dipil Kumar V,

Thank you for your post. I appreciate your engagement and willingness to discuss the topics mentioned.

1. Regarding the excerpt from the file about unsafe conditions, it is indeed crucial to consider why certain mechanisms are unavailable and how they can be implemented to ensure safety in the workplace. Creating a safe working environment is essential, and your perspective on providing necessary tools and platforms is valuable.

2. Examples of unsafe conditions can range from lack of proper safety equipment to inadequate training procedures. Identifying and addressing these conditions is essential to prevent accidents and ensure the well-being of employees.

3. The acronym "KISS" does stand for "Keep it Simple and Stupid." Following this principle emphasizes the importance of simplicity and clarity in various processes and decision-making.

4. In the scenario you presented about a car brake failure leading to an accident, this would typically be categorized as an unsafe condition rather than an unsafe act. Unsafe conditions refer to situations or environments that pose a risk to individuals due to factors like equipment failure or inadequate safety measures.

I encourage further discussions and the sharing of thoughts and questions to enhance our understanding of workplace safety and related topics.

@ Kesav Pillai: Your input on this matter would be valuable as well.

Best regards,
Dipil Kumar V

Dear Dipil,

There is a safe way for every job. The welding job you mentioned is imaginary. If a reasonably safe posture cannot be adopted, then it is essential to have a JSA initiated. The JSA team has to come out with a safe solution and not allow an unsafe posture for the welder and subsequent LBP.

Analyze the root cause of the brake failure of a vehicle while driving. Continue to ask why, why, why, why, why at least five times. You may get the answer. Unsafe conditions are created by someone, somewhere, sometime supported with excuses. See the attached conditions.

Regards,
Kesava Pillai

Dear Sir,

Few comments on your post:

"The welding job you mentioned is imaginary." That means it's not possible to provide a working platform everywhere. I agree with you. So in this case, as a precautionary action, what can we do?

In my opinion, the solution to this problem is:
1. Providing a platform wherever possible.
2. If not, we have to reduce the working hours then. We can't knowingly put one person into trouble, can we?

With regards,
Dipil Kumar V

The better way of analyzing any accident in my experience would be as follows:

1) What the injured person was doing at the time of the accident.
2) What the other person/co-worker was doing at the time of the accident.
3) What could have been done or caused to reduce the severity of the accident? You may find the answer for the cause!

For any question, you have four "W" and one "H":
1) What
2) Where
3) When
4) Why
5) How

Babu Alexander
9940689880

The Best Available Book on 'Behaviour-Based Safety Process'

The best available book on 'BEHAVIOUR-BASED SAFETY PROCESS: Managing Involvement for an Injury-Free Culture' is written by Thomas R. Krause, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Behavioural Science Technology, Inc., Ojai, California, USA. I had the chance to undertake a six-month course/study from the above institution.

The most important thing to understand about the behavior-based approach is that it focuses on the sheer mass of at-risk behaviors at the facility. The at-risk behaviors in question are the work practices of the facility, which are necessarily interwoven with management systems, including safety systems. This statement emphatically does not mean that the injury is the employee's fault, nor does it contradict the diagnosis of quality improvement personnel that 85 percent of the problems with quality are due to poor management practices.

For example, a worker may be feeling pressured by the production schedule and, at the same time, perhaps he or she is preoccupied with a daughter's illness. However, if the worker gets hurt this time, it is almost always because the worker does something at-risk in response to the situation, such as trying to clear jammed equipment without first turning it off. The work configuration may encourage or even require that this behavior occur. In other words, production pressure, work design, and family worries are important variables in the situation. By definition, the variables are continually changing. The common thread running through almost all incidents is the observable at-risk behavior of reaching into moving equipment. This behavior is critical because it makes a significant difference in whether or not a worker gets injured while using the equipment in question.

Regards,
Babu Alexander

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