THE RELEVANCE OF BEHAVIOUR-BASED SAFETY



THE RELEVANCE OF BEHAVIOUR-BASED SAFETY.

Hello there, this is Goke Akingbade (your Safety guide). Today we will be discussing about the relevance of BBS. Behaviour is what a person does or says. What causes an individual to behave in a certain way is influenced by other factors. In other words, a person’s behaviour is shaped by attitudes and situations. Behaviour-Based Safety (BBS) is a Safety Management System that species precisely what behaviours are intended to develop and maintain a safe workplace and are known as safe behaviours.  It is about identifying management policies and practices that affect human behaviour in the work environment.  For an organization to maintain a safe workplace, an effective BBS program must be in place.
A good BBS program will assist organizations to:                                                                                      (1) Reduce near misses, accidents and property damage.                                                                          (2) Reduce injury and illness rates in the workplace.                                                                                      (3) Maintain a healthier workforce.                                                                                                            (4) Reduce workers’ compensation costs.                                                                                                (5) Reduce workers’ absenteeism.                                                                                                               (6) Improve workers feelings about their work.                                                                                          (7) Elevate safety to a higher level of awareness.
Most injuries and illnesses in the workplace can be prevented. When a company has a safety culture , encouraging a proactive and positive attitude to safety, the number of injuries  and illnesses declines.                                                                                                                                                                                       On the other hand, those with poor safety habits, regular at-risk behaviours, and negative attitudes towards safety experience higher incident rates.                
Incidents can usually be connected to one or more of the following causes :                                                (1) BEHAVIOUR ( for example, improper attitude or actions, lack of knowledge or skills.                             (2) UNSAFE CONDITIONS which could be environmental.                                                                   (3) UNSAFE PERSONAL FACTOR.
(1)    BEHAVIOUR  : examples of these include failure to warn, horseplay, defecting safety devices, operating without authority, working in an unsafe posture, working at an unsafe speed, unsafe loading, placing, mixing, failure of the worker to use PPE.
(2)     UNSAFE CONDITIONS : These includes improper PPE, defective equipment, improper ventilation or lighting, and unsafe apparel.
(3)    UNSAFE PERSONAL FACTORS : These includes weakness in the muscles, defective eye  sight, lack of the needful skills, the use of alcohol or hard drugs, physical or mental impairment.
In identifying the factors that contribute to accidents in the workplace, the following questions must be asked:
(a)    Did the worker receive proper safety training?                                                                                                                                 
(b)   Did the worker know how to use the equipment?
(c)    Are procedures in place to deal with faulty equipment?                                                               
(d)   Was the worker reminded not to use the faulty equipment?
(e)   Why did the supervisor allow the use of such equipment?
(f)     Was the job examined by the supervisor first of all?
(g)    Why was the fault or defect in the equipment not detected? 
It is thus very crucial for organizations to strive to develop a good safety culture.                                    
Till I come your way again, please think safety, act safely and work safely.
Regards
gokeakingbade2@gmail.com
 

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