8 JUNE 2023 WorldWide Drilling Resource® What is Behavior-Based Safety? Compiled by Editorial Staff of WorldWide Drilling Resource® Unsafe behaviors cause up to four times more accidents than unsafe conditions. Do you remember a time when someone asked you to specifically NOT do something and you couldn’t help but do it anyway? Workplace safety is about making conscious decisions to keep you and your surroundings safe, but some behaviors can get in the way. This is where behavior-based safety (BBS) comes in. Behavior-based safety is an approach to improving performance and reducing the frequency of accidents and injuries. BBS is concerned with assessing the working interface by using what people do (their behavior) as the starting point for improving the whole system in which people work. BBS strives to determine the root causes of unsafe behaviors and the best route to improve them through training, coaching, positive feedback, and recognition. Simply put, BBS attempts to change the way people work. It addresses employee conduct, attitude, and collaboration. An action which may increase the likelihood of an accident or injury is an unsafe behavior. The most common unsafe behaviors in the workplace are improper use of, or failure to use, personal protective equipment; use of defective equipment; removal of, or failure to use, safety devices; operation of equipment at unsafe speeds; or operating equipment without proper authorization, training, or qualifications. These acts are all considered to be a “human error,” but human error cannot be the root cause of why an incident occurred. Human error is categorized into two parts, skillbased errors and mistakes. Skill-based errors are unintentional actions. Everyone makes unintentional errors, and when you come across someone making an unconscious mistake, it creates risk - so you should make sure to draw attention to what they are doing. Mistakes can be habitual and might have multiple reasons for occurring. An employee might not have clearly understood a certain process or they might not be aware of a rule or regulation which recently changed. It’s important to understand the reason behind this habit and address it accordingly. Behavior-based safety acknowledges employees often work in less-than-perfect conditions and will be forced to make choices between working safely or taking unsafe shortcuts. To combat this, BBS looks at the interaction between three major variables in the workplace: the person, work environment, and the behavior. • Person represents the general experience and the physical capabilities of employees. • Work environment is the controls, workplace, and general company culture. • Behavior is how employees interact with their workplace and how they act while doing their duties. When one of these elements is ignored or neglected, incidents are more likely to occur. BBS aims to make permanent changes in the manner in which people work. Safety becomes a way of life that is part of everyone’s behavior. The key factor that comes with safety leaders implementing BBS is acknowledging the fact it is an inclusive and collaborative method. Employees and workers must be aware that reducing risks and injuries with behavior-based safety is only accomplishable with their support and enforcement. This creates the task of promoting the BBS program as what it is - a way to make the workplace safe. See also “Implementing a Behavior-Based Safety Program” on page 41. WWDR photo. Appreciate your help! Thank you all for your years of dedication to the industry and your publication! Kristina Freeman Western Dewatering, Inc. El Paso, TX
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