Saturday, 4 August 2012

Preventing Accidents through Behavior Based Safety (BBS)

Abstract

This paper includes an original organizational cases and field observations prepared during BBS training interventions in a period of fifteen years between 1997 and 2011 across multi-national organizations (such as petroleum, engineering, automobile cement, power, chemical, pharmaceutical etc.) as a part of an on-going national action research survey of behavior based safety (BBS) in India including 1751 executives and 713 workers in 64 organizations. During BBS training interventions, the trained participants used a checklist of critical unsafe / safe behaviours to collect observation data from their respective workplaces with the help of behaviour observation and feedback process (BOFP) which is based on cognitive behavior modification approach. It is assumed that the information gathered from this longitudinal nature of the research and the robust sample size shall be considerably useful for human resource / safety professionals while they would be implementing the concept and process of BBS for reduction of accidents and promoting safe behaviors for developing injury-free culture in their organizations. The findings this survey would hopefully enrich the theoretical and pragmatic foundations of behavioral safety approach.

 Introduction
BBS is all about involving people across departments in an organization as a bottom-up approach.  Research and experience1-18 indicate that the 90% or more of the accidents are due to unsafe human acts or behaviors; 50% of the unsafe behaviors are identified or noticeable at any plant at any given point of time; 25-30% of safety awareness is lacking among employees which gets reflected in their unsafe behaviors; Unsafe behaviors are at the core of any near misses, injury, accidents. If we control unsafe behaviors, we may not even have near misses. In BBS, workers are involved as well as accountable for safety in the organization. 
Unsafe behaviors are at the core of any near misses, injury, fatalities (figure 1). If we control unsafe behaviors, we may not even have near misses). “Safety should be there in the behaviour of human beings which is lacking”- The Unit Head said.


It is empirically established that intervening unsafe behaviours will reduce injury/fatality. The organizations need to target zero unsafe behaviour in order to achieve zero accidents or injuries.
 
Through BBS approach/training, organizations empower their workforce to routinely check unsafe behaviours of their employees before they get injured or damage the equipment/product, etc.
 The unsafe behaviors at workplace take place due to lack of the following:
1. Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by workmen e.g. eye glasses, hearing protection, gloves, hard hat;
2. Work area maintained appropriately, e.g. trash and scrap picked up, no spills, walkways unobstructed, materials and tools organized;
3. Using correct tools for the job, using tools properly, and tool in good condition;
4. Positioning / protecting body parts, e.g. avoiding line of fire, avoiding pinch points;
5. Material handling e.g. body mechanics while lifting, pushing and pulling, use of assist- devices;
6. Verbal and non-verbal interactions that affects safety;
7. Following safety procedures e.g. obtaining, complying with permits, following Safe Operating Procedures, lockout, tag-out procedures; and
8. Visual focusing (attentiveness).
To reduce accidents, the managements have taken safety interventions such as risk assessment, suggestion scheme, training, safety committee, auditing, motivational programmes (quiz, award, incentives), SOPs, plant inspection, work permit system etc. Most of these safety management systems have aimed at controlling unsafe conditions, whereas 80-95% of accidents are triggered by unsafe acts or behaviors. 
Method 
The main objective of this national action survey  and this longitudinal nature of research is  to gather information which shall be considerably useful for human resource / safety professionals while they would be implementing the concept and process of Behavior Based Safety for reduction of accidents and promoting safe behaviors for developing injury-free culture in their organizations.
Number of trainees of different organizations coming to intervention program is:
 No. of Organization & type
Number of employees 
Staff            Workers
12      Chemicals
    321                               130
05     Power / Energy
 110                               90
09     Gas / Petroleum
270                             53
16     Heavy Engineering
 260                              63
02     Cement
 90                               102
03     Shipping
121                               48
03   Automobile
72                                 36
05    Pharmaceutical
190                                87
09   Others (Construction, Nuclear, Paper, Electrical)
   317                               104
 Total: 64
1751                              713

 The Survey Results:
Organization case 1: Interactions with engineers of Cement Company in the Maharashtra State of India brought out the following issues on BBS interventions:
 Three groups of 88 engineers observed 239 unsafe behaviours of the workers during three days of training on BBS. On an average, 3 unsafe behaviours per worker were identified which means a total workforce of 710 shop-floor employees possess 2030 unsafe behaviours which is a serious concern of safety for an organization. A manager said, “Though we are aware of the magnitude of unsafe behaviours in our organization we did not know how to control them”.
 Organization case 2: In the Gujarat State of India, 23 senior and middle management employees of a chemical manufacturing company (who had work experience between 10 to 30 years) participated in a one-day BBS workshop and raised and discussed the following concerns on behavioral safety in their organization:
 On an average 2.5 unsafe behaviours were observed at the shopfloor which means about  1125 unsafe behaviours existed in the organization at present (450 employees x 2.5 unsafe behaviours = 1125).
There are two kinds of employees as far as safety consciousness is concerned. One kind of employees who has internal locus of control for safety meaning they are internally conscious. The other kind of employees who are externally conscious meaning they require external stimulus to alert them regularly.
 Whether fear factor is necessary for creating safety culture? No, because fear or punishment will not give sustainable result in changing unsafe to safe behaviours.
 How much time BBS would take to give results? What changes can be acquired through BBS? Surprisingly, BBS starts giving results quickly. More the observers, more the observations, more the safe behaviours. The outcomes or changes are the reduced unsafe behaviours, safe working conditions, building safe culture etc.
 Is BBS a new approach which would be out soon like Quality Circle? Not really, because BBS is a data driven approach. What gets measured gets done. As long as it gives results in terms of reduced unsafe behaviours, it is most likely that BBS would stay in the organization. It prevents accidents and accident-related costs.
 Organization case 3: 186 employees including workers and executives of a pharmaceutical organization in Gujarat State of India were trained on BBS. They came out with the following aspects on BBS during discussions in six days of their training interventions.
During observation tours, the observers calculated 3.5 unsafe behaviors on an average per worker being practiced at their workplace on daily basis. They also found 34 unsafe conditions and corrected 30 on the spot. Though 20% of BBS observers are selected per department in an organization, 70% of them must also observe contract workers as 70% of accidents happen to them. In this organization, a lady officer from quality department was found to be the only BBS observer in India
 Conclusions
According to a general manager (safety), behavioral-based safety is all about changing the basic organizational culture to inculcate positive safety at the workplace. 
The body of behavioral research literature created through behavioural safety interventions has made us realize the value of macro-ergonomics aspects. It is important to underline that people behave unsafe or take risks even in well designed work stations. People tend to take risks in safe environments and be very alert in unsafe environments. People speed-up their vehicles on highways and tend to be very alert in crowded streets. The engineering systems, the process or task design provided at workplaces are the hardware part; and the software part is the behaviours of people who tend to behave safe or unsafe at times. The organizational behaviour theory believes that both the hardware and the software are equally important for implementing any new approach or system in the organization. 
Despite well designed work stations, the workmen/operators tend to engage in at-risk behaviours (such as not using PPE, work area not maintained appropriately, not using correct tools for the job or tools not in good condition, inappropriate body mechanics while lifting, pushing and pulling material, not complying with work permits or following Safe Operating Procedures (SOP), and using mobile while working) that may trigger injury or accident. Also we have come across several case studies in organizations revealing that each of these at-risk behaviours has been fatal to workmen, engineers, and managers. 
Designing work stations, the process or task is the ergonomics level; handing over those work stations/tools to the employees is another level of macro-ergonomics when people begin to use or behave with the ergonomically designed work stations. Employees sit on the best designed chair with different postures.   Application of behavioral safety in organizations provides us an experience of macro-ergonomics. 
It is significant to recognize that the behaviour observation and feedback process (BOFP) is used by the BBS trained observers for behavioural change (from at-risk behaviours to safe behaviours) of co-workers on daily basis in organizations for continuous assessment and recordkeeping to measure BBS progress on month-by-month. 
The behavioural safety approach has been practiced in Indian organizations for change of at-risk behaviours to safe behaviours among co-workers in following steps:
a.       An awareness programme on BBS for management staff at all levels.
b.      One day awareness training of employees across the plant; 
c.       Selecting (20%) observers from BBS trained employees; and forming steering committee of 8-10 people from BBS trained employees. 
d.                  Two days in-plant practical training of BBS observers and steering committee members on how to set up the observation process, how to develop the measure, making accuracy and consistency checks, steering committee functioning etc.
e.                   At this stage BBS observers and steering committee members are fully prepared to implement BBS at workplace.
The above exercises have been have successfully tried in Indian organizations (including petroleum, engineering, automobile, cement, power, chemical, pharmaceutical etc.). 
It is significant to mark that behavioral safety is a data-driven approach. It’s an organization development (OD) intervention and a change management process which is achieved through the trained internal change agents called as observers within the organization who actually drive / implement BBS and create behavioral safety data month-on-month basis across the plants and units. 
It is vital to address organizational behaviour issues while applying behavioral based safety such as management commitment and leadership to safety, safety education & training, compliance of safety regulations. Most of the organizational safety systems are top-driven whereas BBS is a bottom-up approach 
Today the organizations are not only targeting zero accident/injury but also zeroing at-risk-behaviours through behavioral based safety approaches for creating safe environments for its employees. Behavioral safety is getting well accepted in India and elsewhere and showing good results in terms of improved safety records, building positive SHE culture, promoting safe behaviours and reduced at-risk behaviours at workplaces.  Behavioral-based safety programs improve worker safety. In India, behavioral based safety is referred to as: become brothers of safety (BBS) to save lives at workplace. 
It is true that India, as predicted by many, is to become the world’s third largest economy by adopting the best work systems such as behavioural safety. 
Finally we need to explore how BBS can be correlated with economics, HR and IR of an organization in terms of saving expenditures on accidents/injury related costs, promoting better HR/IR relations in an enterprise level through regular observer-observee interactions across work areas. 
The lessons learnt from the present survey research:
a.       The hundreds/thousands unsafe behaviours are noticeable at any workplace on daily basis depending upon size of an organization. Hence the potential for accidents exist in every organization unless unsafe behaviours are tapped and controlled daily. It would not come as a surprise any time if there is a fire or major accident as thousands of unsafe behaviours are observable at any workplace.
b.       Showing zero accidents record and international certifications do not really ensure safe organization unless we target zero unsafe behaviors at workplaces;
c.       Organizational case studies revealed that a single unsafe behaviour can prove to be fatal.
d.       Lack of or partial safety enforcement reinforces unsafe behaviours at the workplace.
e.       Preventing unsafe behaviours can bring down costs related to injury/near miss/accidents.
f.        BBS interventions have demonstrated fall in unsafe behaviours and rise in safe behaviours. BBS training also assist in reducing the number of unsafe conditions in the organization;
g.       The managements have started believing that engineering and administrative controls alone do not provide adequate safe workplace unless behavioral safety is practiced and unsafe behaviors controlled in order to ensure total safety at workplaces;
h.       Though OHSAS 18001:2007 has included three clauses that emphasize behavioral aspects of safety, the organizations have yet not followed it exactly as the OHSAS 18001:2007 does not provide any guidelines on how to implement these clauses;
i.         The Indian multi-national organizations have begun to consider the human behavior aspects of workplace safety more as compared to yester years.
j.        In Indian organizations, BBS is referred as to Become Brothers of Safety to save lives of people at the work place. Employees observe & correct unsafe behaviour of each other.
k.       Unsafe behaviour can happen to anyone regardless of position, education, experience and age. A Vice-President went up on the fourth floor to inspect a construction project, he received a call on his mobile and started talking, got so engrossed that he just put his step forward and fell down from the 4th floor and died on the spot.  An engineer on the shop floor thought of crossing a conveyor belt while it was stopped, as he crossed, it started working, he got crushed and died.   A Deputy General Manager got a serious eye injury when he was observing a workman without wearing safety goggles and an object flew from the machine and hit him. So accident/injury spares no one, even managers. 
“If you observe anybody behaving unsafe, you need to save him immediately, beyond which you may not get time to save him. I failed to alert one person as I was about to tell him, before that he turned and fell”, a plant head. 

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