This document discusses behavioral safety interventions that can benefit the San Juan Regional Corporation in improving its safety management system and safety culture. It outlines how behavioral safety focuses on continuous improvement through interventions like information sharing, training, supervision, teamwork, communication and management commitment. While effective for reducing accidents, behavioral interventions require proper implementation to avoid drawbacks like lack of trust between workers and management. Overall behavioral approaches aim to lower costs from accidents by improving culture and management through ongoing assessment and improvement.

1. Behavioural
Safety
Interventions
Devon Martin
Management of Risk
Jason Maitland
By

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This report will show the type and effective use of behavioural interventions that
will benefit the San Juan Regional Corporation in improving its safety
management system and overall work culture to a new level.
Introduction
Behavioral Safety came into the forefront in safety management when previous
investigation showed there was a severe lack of safety practices that led to certain
disasters. This was notably shown as examples, in the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
in 1986 and Continental Express Flight in 1991 (Jin and Chen, 2013). Jin and
Chen further contend that lack of safety culture and behavioral safety is pointed as
the root cause of failed management systems and high rates of accidents and near
misses. Dr. Cooper (2014) disagrees with this assessment slightly, claiming from
overall studies conducted, 60% of accidents contributed to poor planning in
conjunction with poor management systems and, the other 40% stems from unsafe
behavior practices. This assessment from Dr. Copper shows the importance of
integrating both behavioral intervention and adequate safety management systems.
To effectively meet safety requirements, to protect workers, the public and
environment, companies’ safety policy and management system must be carried
out endorsed and enforced. For policy and management systems to be successful
depends on the response and behavior of members of the organization from top
management to the newest worker. With this combination, properly implemented
can lead to ultimate aim of a "total safety culture" within the organization. To meet
these objectives, behavioral safety must be implemented, committed and ingrained

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at all levels. This achievement according to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA,
2013) will incorporate;
1.Health and Safety as a Value and not priority
2.Individuals take responsibility for safety for themselves and co-workers
3.Members of the organization at all levels are willing to act on their roles and
sense of responsibility.
Utilizing these concepts can in turn propel any organization to achieve a level of
quality service, profitability enhancing their reputation and building public
confidence; more specifically the corporation in its capacity of delivery of service
to the public. Additionally, providing a sense of sustainability that protecting the
workers the health, safety and welfare of all workers, management included.
The use of behavior safety intervention and its benefits can propel in meeting legal
and moral requirements within safety management, reducing accidents and
incidents rates and negative economic impacts towards employer and employee
alike (HSE, 2008).
Legislation
In meeting the legal requirement within the Occupational Safety and Health Act
(2004) as amended in 2006, Section 6 sub section 1, ensuring the organization
protects the safety, health and welfare of all employees within its employ. This is
supported in sub section 2 (d) by providing the following;

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➢ Information to the workers
➢ Training for the workers
➢ Supervision of the workers
This legal implication can assist and set a precedent for creating and implementing
interventions towards safety. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), also adheres
to the same requirement under regulation 12 and 13 under Management of Health
and Safety at Work Regulations (1999) of their regulations ensuring that
organizations will impart some form of control to protect their workers. It can be
also seen as a form as a proactive form of safety management instead of the
reactive approach (Copper, 2001).
The ABC Model
Setting controls and interventions to meet certain goals and benchmark for the
corporation, a model approach must be designed and administered to ensure its
success. The Antecedent, Behaviour and Consequence which is also known as the
ABC Model is one such model which can be in depth and beneficial.
Antecedent Behaviour Consequence
A stimulus or event that occurs
before behaviour in time. This
stimulus or event may result in
the behaviour. Work examples
include goals, policies, training,
job aids and guides.
Anything that we can see an
individual do, or say.
A stimulus or event that
occurs after a behaviour in
time. This consequence
could increase or decrease
behaviour in the future
depending on its reinforcing
or punishing properties.
Work examples include
feedback, recognition, task
completion, goal
achievement, rewards.
Figure 1 (HSA, 2013)

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The ABC model can create, monitor and maintain any event in the Antecedent
phase which can trigger the worker's behavior (HSA, 2013). This is important as
the event can be calculated as if it's beneficial or a deterrent to the worker's health
and welfare. Within the Behaviour phase, the worker's reactions to the event leads
to the Consequence phase which is critical to ascertain if the results of the
behaviour is positive or negative. Fleming and Lardner (2002) states the
effectiveness of the model as not only to identify and implement interventions, but
able to promote applicable health and safety behaviour.
Behavioural intervention can assist in meeting this requirement through these
specific elements. While this part of the act does not constitute the introducing of
behavioural safety, the three elements stated will and can in fact ensure it can be
commenced from them, once properly formulated and implemented for the benefit
of the corporation and its workers in the long term. Meeting legal compliance is
also endorsed by Zin and Ismail (2012). They stated not meeting the legal
requirement is basically the first step towards safety failure.
Information
Proper information given to employees is essential in promoting behavioural
safety. The information can be circulated by policies, company’s regulation,
manuals or any form of suitable means best for the organization. Starting with the
newest employee through induction training or orientation, will ensure what is
expected of the new employee and develop a safety awareness and behaviour
within the organization (Ridley, 2004). Workers can now effectively reduce the

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potential of incurring unwanted near misses or accidents and enhancing the safety
culture within the organization through reacting to the risk appropriately with good
practice and a safety mindset (Floyd and Floyd II, 2014).
Training
With the knowledge from the information and data, proper and adequate training is
a vital means of behavioural intervention. Training can be planned and systematic
programmes for both workers and supervisors to develop and improve
predetermined skills, abilities and behaviour (Taylor et al, 2004). Effectiveness of
training has shown to:
1.Create a versatile workforce: Workers being flexible, competent and
adaptable to respond to changing needs within the organization.
2.Greater employee satisfaction: This will boost the workforce self-esteem and
confidence towards any task given.
3.Enhance company image: the company can be shown in a high esteem in the
quality and quantity of the workforce for the public
With the information given to the workers, training given will ingrain and reinforce
the workers on how to handle daily operations and procedures. Proper and
adequate training can increase employees' awareness and competence in dealing
with hazards and risks (HSE, 2015). Shahabeddin (2013) states to achieve basic
mastery of any discipline, practice must be done at least 30 times. So for the
training to be truly effective, training must be engaging, comprehensive and

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interactive to receive the desired response and results. Creating the ideal training
scenario according to McNeil (2013), can yield positive results for the workers and
the organization such as:
➢ Gaining the participants attention
➢ Creating awareness
➢ Participation through action and practice
➢ Provide feedbacks for future and improve training sessions
The importance and value of training has reach to greater heights in improving
behavourial intervention and that virtual training is the new phenomenon in safety.
Nakayama and Jin (2015) have shown virtual environment and training have
assisted immensely by replicating the workplace and sets what needs both workers
and management have when dealing with any hazards. Virtual Training has shown
previously of being very effective in military, medical and flight training. With
records of both physical and emotional interaction during training, have been
essential elements in improving learning and behaviour.
Supervision
While supervising the workers will meet the legal requirement, adequate
supervision will compliment both information and training in meeting the safety
policy (HSE, 1997). With supervisors and management showing and endorsing
positive attitude and behaviour towards health and safety and encourage workers to
follow practice, it can develop into a powerful system of behavioural safety (HSE,
2013). Behavioural practices can be observed on workers actions, that supervisors
can provide feedback to workers as a form as positive reinforcement. With the

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support of the supervisors, and management by extension, the benchmark in
meeting the safety interventions goals can be done by:
1.Teamwork
2.Communication and Feedback
3.Management commitment and leadership
Teamwork
Teamwork can be a very effective intervention in behaviour based safety in
improving the work culture and reducing accidents within the work environment.
HSE (1999) incorporated the use and importance of teamwork in Regulation 11
under Co-operation and co-ordination to primarily identify and reduce risk.
However, going beyond the legal implications, other high risk sectors such as
construction, oil and gas production, and shipping industry considers teamwork as
a vital strategy for risk management according to Mitropolous and Memarian
(2012). Mitropolous and Memarian has shown in their field of study within the
construction industry, has shown teamwork has contributed improvement by:
➢ Improving in meeting safety compliance
➢ Reducing accident occurrences by prevention and proper risk management
➢ Improve and increase productivity and proper time management by
effectively mitigate and reduce task demands with the workload.
As construction of roads, drains, and retaining walls is one of the main portfolios
to the corporation, and having deadlines and budgets constantly in flux, utilizing
and improving this method can ultimately be cost effective and as well manage

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both the corporation and the burgess. Safety committee meetings is another avenue
that can be justified to bring about teamwork. While it's a legal requirement within
the OSH Act in Section 25, safety committees that can have an established link
between management and the workforce in coordinating and getting the tasks done
practically, safe and finding solutions to problems faced within the organization
(Lawson, 2015).
Communication / Feedback
Effective communication and feedback is another benefit that can gain from
behavioural intervention. Organizations communicating with their workers and
vice versa can assist in identifying, controlling and mitigating risk with the work
environment. As it’s the responsibility of giving the information of the tasks at
hand by the organization, it's also the worker's responsibility to report and alert any
hazard that may arise during any given time as stated in Section 10 sub section 1(c)
of the OSH Act. Going beyond the legal requirements, having open
communication between to the parties will create trust and foster good relations
(Glendon et al, 2006) open dialogue that can lead to sharing ideas, getting feedback
to continuing improving safety within the corporation.
Management Commitment / Leadership
Behavioural based safety is considered a top –bottom model and must be driven by
management (HSA, 2013). This shows management has an integral role in
promoting, and reinforcing behaviour safety. Zin and Ismail (2012) shown in their
findings, management involvement is the main factor in Behavioural safety and
intervention, and is a critical factor in employer/employee relations. Zin and Ismail

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went on to further state that management commitment can change employee’s
behaviour towards safety and in reducing accidents. Management commitment can
reap additional benefits according to (Haight and Thomas, 2003):
➢ Positive feedback and cooperation from employees
➢ Better and improve work environment
➢ Better employee selection process
➢ Lower absenteeism and turnover creating and sustaining a stable workforce.
Management cannot exclude themselves from any initiatives believing they are
above board. They too are also employees to the organization and any negative
impact can affect them in decision making. Behavioural safety is everyone's
concern, not just the primary workforce (HSA, 2013).
Drawbacks
For the continuing sustainability and justified use of behavioural intervention, it
must avoid pitfalls to ensure its success. Cox and Jones (2006) have identified
some of the limitations if the intervention program is misused or underutilized.
What was found and prevalent, lack of communication and trust between upper
management and the workforce, workers believe it can be used as a tool or weapon
to spy on them or used against them and thus cause a reluctance to participate in
any program. Tharaldsen and Haukelid (2009) agreed with this assessment and
postulated that this can lead to an organization breakdown and can affect the work
process. Employees put themselves at great harm as their lack of awareness and

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interest towards the job and work and any effort for improvement will be
unaccounted and unappreciated and will not be valued by any member with the
organization (Tharaldsen and Haukelid, 2009). This in itself can lead to a total
system management failure and the workforce will be in ad hoc in future projects
and in danger of serious legal and economic repercussions and consequences.
Conclusions
Cox and Jones (2006) shows Behavioural approaches to safety management focus
on continuous improvement; will overall cut unnecessary costs from accidents
injuries or property damage. Time frame in completing projects can be reduced to
prevent cost overruns and delays through improved culture, efficiency and
continuous and effective management. The San Juan/ Laventille Regional
Corporation will develop a high reliability in delivering services to consumers and
the public in all aspects of its responsibilities and portfolio with commitment from
management and employees.
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