Rank: Forum user
|
Hi all,
I'm looking for some advice on behavioural safety books. I want to read up on the subject and hopefully learn different techniques/ skills.
Can someone suggest any good books?
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
There is a very good "Free Behavioral Safety Resource Center" at:- http://www.behavioral-sa...l-safety-resource-centerPlease note that I do not have any connection with them, but find this website very useful and it has references to authoritative books, articles etc.
|
|
|
|
Rank: Forum user
|
An entertaining read as well as a useful guide to BBS is "The Emperor Has No Hard Hat" by Alan D Quilley. ISBN 0-9737485-0-8.
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
Being a bit of an anorak I've read lots of these, but the best by a long way is;
Affective Safety Management by Tim Marsh - I think its £15 from IIRSM
We also use his CDs a set of 6 costs around £1500 and have proved to be very cost effective training for our multi site operations.
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
jay wrote:There is a very good "Free Behavioral Safety Resource Center" at:- http://www.behavioral-sa...l-safety-resource-centerPlease note that I do not have any connection with them, but find this website very useful and it has references to authoritative books, articles etc. I'd agree this is a good site - if you dig deep enough in the resources, there is a 250 page "text book" that can be downloaded for free called "Improving Safety Culture".
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
Last year I bought the book linked on the front page of the site jay and walker linked.
It's a very interesting read and has been something I've referred back to a few times. Especially after observing the different reactions groups of employees (at all levels) have when conversation veers away from safety conformance based on strict rules and inflexible training.
There's not enough time to read everything I'd like to and still get the job done though... Good luck
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
B Bruce
As you wrote that you are 'looking for some advice on behavioural safety books', it's important to consider reliable valid evidence about the matter. In particular, check reliable valid evidence on
a. to what extent the assumptions that behavioural safety relies on are valid in your organisation
b. how well behavioural safety methods have worked in the UK other than in projects funded by taxpayers (through the HSE) rather than the beneficiaries
c. why the TUC has so strongly and publicly opposed the adoption of behavioural safety (even if their reasoning lacks validity in some important respects)
d. alternative forms of intervention to behavioural safety that may more cost-effectively i. achieve safety goals of motivation and leadership to create value consistently by delivering value ii. support your own continuous professional development.
|
|
|
|
Rank: Forum user
|
B.Bruce wrote:Hi all,
I'm looking for some advice on behavioural safety books. I want to read up on the subject and hopefully learn different techniques/ skills.
Can someone suggest any good books? Just a word of caution but if you want to instill a change that shows an improvement to your safety performance then you need to cast the net a little wider. The behaviours that improve safety are the same behaviours that would generally be considered as 'ethical' business behaviours. With that being the case it's worth considering what the culture is within the workplace (if you want to try and apply principles to a real place of work) and what needs changing. The big one will always be trust at all levels in the organisation and we all know thats something hard earned, easy lost. At a very simple level one of the main catalysts for change is effective communication and its essential that this is open and honest. For this to work it will often be the case that a step change is needed so that during these conversations people do not feel offended/slighted and for it to work you'll need other skills such as coaching and facilitation. With that in mind it'll be worth digging into how good coaching skills can be a real tool for change in an organisation, it's not as simple as you may initially think and it's there's some interesting techniques to be learnt that will help you. As a starting point there's a book out there called 'Fierce Conversations' that gives a good starting point for understanding effective communication. GL with it.
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
NIlevesy is right about the value of 'effective communiation....(that is) open and honest' and about 'ethical' behaviours.
The challenge is often to deal with these matters in ways that can be validly measured so their contributions to delivering value are clear to anyone who is not prejudiced.
In relation to B Bruce's explicit request about 'techniques', behavioural safety entails a host of techniques. A relatively straightforward technique that can further the adoption of behavioural safety at the same time as meeting the criteria enumerated by Nilesey is to conduct a well-designed survey inviting feedback about the role of the safety/health function and about the style of safety/health leadership.
Using this feedback to generate open, honest conversations and action plans can be done very cost effectively and relatively swiftly, provided that reliable, valid measures are used.
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
Behavioural Safety is not the be all and end all. Many at the top of the organisation tree see it as the 'sexy' side of safety which is generally dull as ditchwater and will be asking for a BS program to be implemented ASAP if one isn't already in place.
There are arguments for and against but you need to consider many many factors before going down this road including but not limited to; is the company ready, which model to adopt, who/how/when/how often, feedback mechanisms, overall aim, continuity etc etc etc.
A good starting point is finding out the culture of your organisation right now, this will indicate if your ready or if it will fall on its backside.
I am deliberately not giving you my opinion on BS as (well you didn't ask for a start) this is of no importance but don't feel you need to go down this road just because the boss says so.
As for books, behavioural science and psychology is a good start. Behavioural Safety specifically will be based around which model you choose to roll out as they are all different although 'generally' they look to reinforce good behaviours and weed out bad ones via an intervention/conversation of some kind.
Good luck
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
Damelcfc's observation 'A good starting point is finding out the culture of your organisation right now, this will indicate if your ready or if it will fall on its backside'. is an interesting one - depending on what is meant by 'culture' - yet often high risk.
For if the outcome is, in his image, 'falling on its backside', the net payoff may well be negative.
By contrast, using a survey to establish the scale of readiness amongst managers to accept leadership from the safety/health function is a less risky way of determining the state of readiness. Discovering whether they're looking for a leader of cultural change or a traffic warden provides a set of benchmarks which can in turn be used as a basis for negotiating action plans at paces within the states of readiness of managers.
The costs of falling on backsides can be avoided, with due thought and care.
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
In relation to the non-trivial risk of a 'fall on its backside' that Damelcfc highlights in relation to an enquiry into the culuture of an organisation, this risk can be controlled by the safety professional's use of feedback about his/her own personality.
For research in the February 2010 issue of the Journal & Organisational Studies indicates how specific traits of an individual influences how he or she uses feedback. So, informed awareness of his/her own personality can enhance how the safety professional uses information from a well-designed survey.,
This is particularly useful in the situation where the survey data indicate that a 'fall on its backside' is the most probable outcome; without awareness of their own personalities, some safety professionals have made matters worse when effects of their own actions quite unnecessarily prolong the waste of time on backside.
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
The models I have been involved with require a commitment from all of the senior managers to 'never walk past an unsafe act' and sign a charter to this effect and then commit to 'doing' x amount of behavioural based discussions per month. This is the 'top down' approach. I personally prefer peer to peer discussions - brothers keeper type relationship, not management lead - this however can be extremely alien to a culture that does not embrace peer to peer discussion 'who are you to tell me? Your not my manager' type reactions. Sometimes the top down approach is just to kick it off with the ultimate aim being to eventually get to peer to peer. Like Risk Assessment and again I have to say the models I have used (as there are others) are not owned and Led by the safety manager so I fail to see why you single out the safety managers personality as an issue KD - the Head of the Organisation certainly. Slightly at a tangent but one certain failing of the above type system is Managers who are targeted with completing x per month (and certainly when appraised on this as a KPI) actually getting on the shop floor and doing them / completing falsely as a desktop exercise. Some type of audit may be appropriate.
Do remember that some Managers/supervisors (like it or not) really struggle to actually 'talk' to their staff and no matter how much you train them their conversation management skills in this type of process is awful and they can do more harm than good.
As I say pluses and minuses for BS in my opinion but be prepared to be in for the long haul and it doesn't rock everyones world - and I do insist if you are in a blame culture with high absence, lots of RIDDORS, lots of R/A actions open, safety number 5 on an agenda, no investment etc etc etc etc - then you are not ready!
|
|
|
|
Rank: Forum user
|
Try reading Sidney Dekker and James Reason
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
A lot of people out there trying to sell the fuzzy science of BBS, watch out! Anyone interested in this area should first look at the work of Martin Fishbein and Icek Ajzen, the greats on whom most of the other recent authors have leaned heavily. Their most recent book "Predicting and Changing Behaviour" was published in 2010 and having recently finished it would have to say its a bit of a read unless you had some experience in this field. That said Ajzens web site is simply brilliant and outlines in simple terms the "theory of planned behaviour", link below: http://people.umass.edu/aizen/index.htmlIf you get your head around TPB you have it cracked BUT the techniques/programmes/models etc that you might want to use in your own workplace will be solely determined by your organisation and attitude/disposition and support for action in area. Hope this helps what is a very interesting thread! Jonty
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.