The vast majority of work-related injuries may be attributed, at least in part, to unsafe behavior or unsafe action(s). Unsafe conditions and safety management practices (or lack thereof) may also contribute. The challenge for safety professionals and supervisors and managers is to identify unsafe behavior, evaluate and analyze the behavior, and determine ways to eliminate the behavior before it results in injury.

Recent years have witnessed the development of a behavior-based approach to safety management. This approach utilizes applied behavior analysis to attain improved safety performance. Behavioral safety identifies BEHAVIORS, evaluated in the context of the individual’s perception of the CONSEQUENCES of such behavior. The ANTECEDENT conditions leading to the behavior are also analyzed. Thus, ANTECEDENT conditions lead to BEHAVIORS practiced by the individuals who are motivated by the perceived CONSEQUENCES of such behavior.

Further definitions of these behavioral safety components are as follows:

BEHAVIOR - Any observable action

ANTECEDENT - Events that precede and help trigger behaviors. They are powerful to the extent that they predict consequences.

CONSEQUENCE - States or events that follow from behaviors. They directly influence behavior. The most powerful consequences are those that are “soon – certain – positive”.

For example, the telephone rings (Antecedent), the individual picks up the phone and says, “Hello” (Behavior) in hopes of speaking to the person at the other end (Consequence).

In evaluating unsafe behaviors, it is important to identify what motivates the individual to practice the unsafe act. We must identify how the antecedents accurately predict the potential consequences. This requires an evaluation of the relative strengths of the perceived consequences. Consequences can be judged and rated by three factors:

• Timing – the measure of when the consequence will happen. Consequences that will happen sooner exert greater influence on behavior than consequences that will be suffered later.
• Certainty – refers to the likelihood of a consequence actually occurring. Consequences viewed as certain generally have a much greater influence on behaviors than those that are considered unlikely.
• Impact – of the consequence can be positive or negative. Positive outcomes are generally desirable over negative outcomes in terms of influencing behavior.

Under the behavior-based approach, one can take any observed and identified behavior, identify and evaluate the various consequences based on timing, certainty, and impact, and identify the various antecedents that precede and trigger the behavior. The next step in the process is to determine how to change the antecedents to influence desirable behavior.

Without change in the antecedent conditions, employers cannot and should not expect any changes in behavior. It is important to remember that consequences control behavior and antecedents influence behavior only to the extent that they can predict consequences. We can evaluate the unsafe behavior of failing to wear safety glasses (eye protection). Assessing how the worker perceives the possible consequences of the behavior, it is possible to understand the antecedent conditions influencing their view of the consequences. We can begin to understand why the worker is motivated to engage in this unsafe behavior. In order to change the worker’s assessment of the consequences of not wearing appropriate eye protection, changes must be made to the antecedent conditions.

In the example, if the worker feels that he or she will save time (consequence) by not finding and wearing protective eyewear, what and how can conditions be changed to modify this perception. Possible solutions might be to place protective eyewear in locations where they will be more readily available when needed or using a restraining strap or lanyard to hang the glasses from the worker’s neck when not in use.

If the worker feels that the consequence of disciplinary action is not certain, or will come later, he or she might opt not to comply with safety procedures (such as eye protection). If this is determined to be a perception, effort must be made to change the antecedent conditions. Possible solutions include motivating supervisors to monitor and correct unsafe behavior, instructing supervisors how to administer progressive discipline, and/or holding supervisors accountable for the unsafe acts in their departments.

Traditional safety programs typically focus on the antecedents to behavior. Such programs emphasize safety training, providing personal protective equipment, establishing safe work practices and rules, and creating a safe work environment. These are antecedents to safe behavior, however, experience shows that such antecedents are ineffective in consistently motivating safe behaviors. Workers will still seek shortcuts. Workers will be motivated by pressure to please the supervisor and peers. The “it won’t happen to me” mentality influences action and behavior.

Management, supervisors, and safety professionals must continually look for effective ways to address worker perceptions of the consequences of their actions. This requires a system of regular feedback on the acceptable and improper behavior of employees. Too often, managers overlook and ignore unsafe behavior until an injury occurs. By the same token, many workers do what they are trained to do until they realize that nobody seems to care. There is no recognition or affirmation for doing the right thing. Consequently, they may stop following procedure and begin doing the more convenient or widely accepted thing.

Reliance on safety training to raise awareness is necessary, but not completely effective in changing behaviors. Increased safety awareness does not equate with increased safety behavior. Most of us are aware of the need to wear seatbelts while operating and riding in an automobile, yet many of us refuse to consistently use seatbelts. Many of us are aware that being overweight is unhealthy, yet this awareness does not it easier to change our behavior and lose weight. Awareness is important, but we need additional stronger motivations to lead us in the right direction.

Changing unsafe behaviors is generally difficult. One must change the individual’s perception of certain “positive” outcomes. This often requires an evaluation and change of certain antecedent conditions. Individuals often resist change. The solution may be in reversing the perception of an outcome from “positive” to “negative”, “later” to “sooner” (or vice versa), or “uncertain” to “certain”. Antecedents and positive consequences for at-risk behavior should be eliminated and antecedents and consequences should be improved to increase desirable (safe) behavior.

Correcting unsafe behaviors requires an evaluation of the identified behavior. This evaluation should go beyond the superficial to the underlying causal factors of the behavior, specifically, the worker’s perception of consequences to the behavior and the conditions that help develop these perceptions. There must be a willingness to change these conditions in order the change the perceptions of consequence and the behavior itself.