“Attempting to change what people say, think, or feel is not the same as changing what they do.”
Some years back, my colleague Beth Sulzer-Azaroff and I wrote a paper called “Does BBS work?” In other words, does Behavior-Based Safety actually reduce injuries in the workplace?
You might not care much about behavior-based safety. But you might find it useful to know that the same techniques can be used to improve just about any result.
We reviewed the scientific evidence: in 32 out of 33 studies providing data about injury rates before and after BBS, BBS effectively lowered the rate of injuries. (If you want to see the full breakdown of each of these studies, go see the scientific article here).
Behavior-Based Safety, based in behavioral science, is an important tool. A big part of why BBS works is that it focuses on actionable behaviors, not abstract ideas about culture that mean different things to different people. BBS interventions target specific, realistic behaviors to modify, use consistent and accurate measurement to track progress, and provide meaningful feedback.
When applied properly, BBS uses behavioral strategies to change behaviors and results. These can be applied to ANY situation where people are involved…at work, at home, in your community…anywhere.
- Identify the result you want.
- Identify the key behaviors that will give you better results.
- Measure those behaviors every day.
- Explain why these behaviors and results are important, and remove barriers to completing them.
- Give non-judgmental feedback and recognize improvement.
Everyone says that safety is their priority – but how does safety actually get prioritized? Does your organization actually use science-backed methods to keep employees healthy?
