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Posted By Dominic Cooper
Hi Guys
I was just reading through the behavioural safety messages and see many believe I am no longer involved in behavioural safety or with B-Safe. Sorry, but I am still here! I went to university to be a professor for a few years (lifetimes ambition etc.,) and then went to implement B-Safe on Oil & Gas facilties in the Middle East (that was fun!). Anyhow, suffice to say (now I have my new password, etc) I am back (www.bsms-inc.com) and still working on behavioural safety issues.
I have to say that there has been some good questions this last year (2007) and some funny posts - something to do with personality testing. I have to agree with the majority that it does not work and is not very useful, still the colour coding idea is interesting and may have a lot more mileage than simply personality testing the management.
Anyhow a good new year to all and may it be safer than the last one.
Best wishes
Dominic
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Posted By Robert K Lewis
Dom
Good to see you return. A bit like the Liquid metal man - a cure for all accidents methinks!!:-)
How have you moved things forwards on your theories and methods nowdays?
Bob
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Posted By Dominic Cooper Hi Bob Happy New Year. Guess I have done some research over the last few years to move the field forward. Have discovered the design of a behavioural safety process is much more important than the'psychology' of behavioural safety (though that is still relevant) for impacting incident rates - see http://www.behavioral-safety.com/images/White.pdf.Have also found that management's commitment (or safety leadership if you prefer)impacts on employee safety behaviour by anywhere between 35 and 51 percent!! See http://bsms-inc.com/Docu...mmittment-Cooper-013.pdfHave also discovered that perceptions of safety training predicts actual levels of safety behaviour 'on the ground' see http://www.b-safe.net/articles/bsms14.pdf. Also applied behavioural safety techniques to controling MRSA in acute care wards in UK hospital, which we reduced by about 70% in a few months. See http://www.b-safe.net/articles/bsms15.pdf. Probably the one piece of work I am most proud of. Importantly, putting all this together I have been able to quantify 'safety culture' in a meaningful way. ie Using a combination of behavioural safety scores, safety climate scores and safety management system audit scores. Before, this was just theoretical,but have proven it with an Oil & Gas producer. So now just writing it up! Looking at all this, I guess I have been busier than I thought. Just as well my wife and family are so understanding. Best wishes Dominic
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Posted By Jim Walker
Hi Dominic,
I went on a course you ran oooooooooo 15 or more years ago and have followed & used your publications since.
I have on my desk your "improving safety culture" at the moment (to anyone interested this is a free download from Dom's site)
What's your opinion of the school of thought that says Behavioural safety is an excuse used by management to dump blame back on the workforce?
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Posted By Dominic Cooper Hi Jim Interesting question. I did respond to this arguement a few years ago in the US National Safety Council publication 'Safety & Health, (April 2003, pp 46-48) based on survey results of end-users. There is a copy available at http://behavioral-safety...bout_Behavioural_Safety/Anyhow, I guess I disagree with the basic premise. If behavioural safety is done properly there is no reason anyone should get blamed by management for anything. There is also a distinct lack of evidence that workers involved in behavioural safety are blamed more for poor safety, anymore than those not involved in behavioural safety. A lot of the arguements are political, that stem from US unions resistance to BBS back in the mid 1990's. A lot of companies I have worked with are unionised sites, and we have had tremendous results. One of them is on the HSE website ( http://www.hse.gov.uk/bu...s/casestudy/huntsman.pdf ). I recently returned there to the site to do a 10 year review. Working with all the shifts, not one person mentioned anything about being unfairly blamed by management for poor safety performance. Quite the opposite! They were generally very pleased with the amount of management support being demonstrated. I do know one of my clients, quite a few years ago, had a manager who disciplined one person as a result of the behavioural observations and the entire workforce withdrew from the process in a matter of hours, until the manager was dealt with. This demonstrated that blaming the workers is a self-defeating strategy, as the workforce will simply withdraw from the process. I think one BBS approach that could (and has been) used by managers to blame workers, is where managers do all the observations. These days this seems to be such a rare occurence that the arguement is almost redundant. However, people being people,I am sure there are some examples where this has happened. It would be interesting to know if any IOSH members have any experience of workers being blamed for unsafe acts as a result of doing behavioural safety. Best wishes Dominic
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Posted By Frank Newman
Despite the user name this is Merv.
Hi Dom, good to hear from you again.
I read the white paper and see that you have not changed opinions much since B-Safe came out in 1996. good on you.
The paper reaffirmed my belief that it is the design of a BBS programme, adapted somewhat to local culture and conditions, that is the most important factor.
The key factors we, as you, identify are :
* cooperative (worker/management) definition of safe behaviours
* Observations of the work group, not individuals
* Observations by a colleague. Occasionally accompanied by a supervisor/manager
* Cooperative goal setting starting from a baseline measured by the observer
* 100% "safe" is not an obligation. Doing better is.
* Daily observations
* frequent feedback, in the field, if possible but an obligatory weekly group feedback session : What we did well this week. What needs a bit more effort if we are going to reach our objective.
* Rewards, social and tangible. But the social, ie "well done" is the most important
* Continuing, visible management support. Over the years we have only had to stop three groups. All due to lack of sup/man support/interest.
* On the disciplinary action thing, we clearly explain that there is no place on the score sheets to record the names of people observed. Managers are forbidden to try to dig out the names of "defaulters". and if a manager should be so indelicate as to enquire then the observer is forbidden to reply.
Good to see the cost advantages put to BBS. Powerfull arguments when trying to convince new clients. Thanks. I owe you a laphroaig. Or a Bush mills.
One point we have found very useful : whenever a manager is on the shop floor he/she should spend a minute or two in front of the BBS postings, chatting about it to ANY employee who happens to wander past.
Dom, since we worked together we have worked with and seen the aftermath of quite a few other BBS providers. (a few times called in to clear up the mess (no names)
Go B-Safe !
nosa went bust a few years ago. How are Technubel doing (the Belgians) ?
Very best regards to you, your wife and your daughters (who should be married by now)
Merv
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