Editor: Bill Robb, PhD, DEd
Someone rebuked me the other day, saying that my approach to behavioural safety is too simple!If you've been getting the Safety Briefings for some time, you'll remember that over the years I've identified six "behavioural traps" we humans have to guard against. These are* Lack of awareness* Unintentional pressure from supervision/management* The fear factor* Losing concentration* Diminishing the risk* Future consequence blindness
And that's it! Every acident and incident will have one or more of these behavioural factors in play. As long as we're satisfied that we have the best equipment, great working conditions and the best PPE and have all the correct procedures and work practices and people are properly trained - what else is there to do?
"That's much too simple - we humans are much more complicated that that - each person is different", my critic cried. Of course, he is only half right - and here's the insight that helps to cut through the apparent complexity. We are all different but we are ALL THE SAME! How can that apparent contradiction exist?
Seeing through the complexity
And that's it! Every acident and incident will have one or more of these behavioural factors in play. As long as we're satisfied that we have the best equipment, great working conditions and the best PPE and have all the correct procedures and work practices and people are properly trained - what else is there to do?
"That's much too simple - we humans are much more complicated that that - each person is different", my critic cried. Of course, he is only half right - and here's the insight that helps to cut through the apparent complexity. We are all different but we are ALL THE SAME! How can that apparent contradiction exist?
Seeing through the complexity
Let's take an example of the six traps above. Some people are more aware than others. Some people lose concentration easily and some don't. Some people think more ahead than others. So only the degree is different - but deep down we are all subject to the same human nature.
Here's another example. After examining hundreds of indcidents and asking people why the went ahead with a job when they KNEW they shouldn't have, the fear factor comes out as a major cause. Some of the fears people give are as follows:
Here's another example. After examining hundreds of indcidents and asking people why the went ahead with a job when they KNEW they shouldn't have, the fear factor comes out as a major cause. Some of the fears people give are as follows:
* Afraid to be seen as lazy
* Afraid to be seen as a trouble maker
* Afraid of looking stupid
* Afraid to admit that they don't understand
* Afraid to be seen as incompetent
* Afraid to be seen as weak
* Afraid of upsetting work mates
* Afraid of losing their jobs
SO WHAT'S THE POINT?
SO WHAT'S THE POINT?
1. Strive to keep things as simple as possible. Some people make out that behavioural safety is complicated but it isn't. You don't need 3-day or 5-day courses with tons of information and 50 powerpoint slides. Half-a-day or 3-hour sessions, repeated once a month is more effective.
2. Avoid theory. Yes, it's nice to know how the brain works, how our personalities are shaped and how our perception is often distorted, but that doesn't help people do what they KNOW they should do - when they are afraid to do it.
3. Keep focusing on the six behavioural traps - as far as I can see there is nothing else! Maybe there is and I'll keep looking but for now, just pick a behavioural topic to start with and focus on that for a month in toolbox talks, inductions and meetings. Then select another for the next month. After six months begin with the first topic again.
4. Try to get out of the mindset that there is some special system or software that can help you. There isn't when it comes to behaviours. Indeed, when you try to force a system (computerised risk assessment forms, for example) people end up making more mistakes.
5. Become more and more comfortable with the fact that when we already have a good safety record, further improvements will only come from the emotional/behavioural change. This is often a difficult thing to grasp because it requires us to watch not only WHAT we say but HOW we say it and the body language we use. We have to control our initial instinctive reactions. In safety alerts keep looking for the behavioural aspects and flag them up. We should be training our HSE Advisers and selected supervisors to do this.
6. Try not to lecture. Use case studies and get people "discovering for themselves". Simply, getting people to reveal for themselves what the behavioural traps are, is sufficient to change behaviours. Once people see it for themsllves - most change.
7. Repetition, repetition, repetion. Some people change more quickly than others. Some will need many exposures to the behavioural approach. Also, we humans easily forget - our human nature is very subtle and catches us out so easily. In addition, new people are joining our teams all the time. With time, this behavioural thinking gets ingrained so the people automatically do the RIGHT thing. (The repetition isn't boring because you can use different safety scenarios).
2. Avoid theory. Yes, it's nice to know how the brain works, how our personalities are shaped and how our perception is often distorted, but that doesn't help people do what they KNOW they should do - when they are afraid to do it.
3. Keep focusing on the six behavioural traps - as far as I can see there is nothing else! Maybe there is and I'll keep looking but for now, just pick a behavioural topic to start with and focus on that for a month in toolbox talks, inductions and meetings. Then select another for the next month. After six months begin with the first topic again.
4. Try to get out of the mindset that there is some special system or software that can help you. There isn't when it comes to behaviours. Indeed, when you try to force a system (computerised risk assessment forms, for example) people end up making more mistakes.
5. Become more and more comfortable with the fact that when we already have a good safety record, further improvements will only come from the emotional/behavioural change. This is often a difficult thing to grasp because it requires us to watch not only WHAT we say but HOW we say it and the body language we use. We have to control our initial instinctive reactions. In safety alerts keep looking for the behavioural aspects and flag them up. We should be training our HSE Advisers and selected supervisors to do this.
6. Try not to lecture. Use case studies and get people "discovering for themselves". Simply, getting people to reveal for themselves what the behavioural traps are, is sufficient to change behaviours. Once people see it for themsllves - most change.
7. Repetition, repetition, repetion. Some people change more quickly than others. Some will need many exposures to the behavioural approach. Also, we humans easily forget - our human nature is very subtle and catches us out so easily. In addition, new people are joining our teams all the time. With time, this behavioural thinking gets ingrained so the people automatically do the RIGHT thing. (The repetition isn't boring because you can use different safety scenarios).
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