Behaviour-Based Safety

Many will have you believe around 90% or more of accidents are caused by human behaviour. I have written elsewhere questioning this assertion, even if it were true it is unhelpful.

My view is that there are a number of proponents of B.B.S. who make outlandish claims about the success of the technique without rigorous research studies to back up their assertions. Some of the arguments for the technique get emotive.

I was associated with 4 B.B.S. implementations that ended up being fizzers. With the first one the process failed because one of the things the workers were asked to do was observe and report on their mates behaviours. Australians do not “dob” in their mates and the process just did not work.

The other 3 implementations were done in the same department at 3 different sites in the one company and for 6 months or so worked very well and a lot was achieved. At all 3 sites after 6 months or so the process was abandoned because both workers and management thought it was too much like hard work and there was not sufficient return for the effort.

My view is that you have to have good safety systems and engineering controls in place before you consider introducing B.B.S.

There are some safety professionals whose opinion I respect highly who tell me they have had good success with Dupont B.B.S. systems.

I would welcome feedback from people who have had success with BBS