Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
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Thinking.and.actions.not.coordinated
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Insuficient.degree.of.attention.applied
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Shortcuts.evoked.to.complete.job
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Complacency/lack.of.perceived.need.for.concern
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Confusion
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Misdiagnosis
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Fear.of.failure/consequences
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Tired/fatigued
As.with.worker.safety.and.health.where.a.high.risk.can.result.from.noncompliance.
with.requirements,.each.of.the.human.behavior.factors.should.be.considered.prior.to.
contemplating.how.and.what.behaviors.need.to.change.
Changing.unsafe.to.safe.behavior.is.an.important.part.of.a.company's.motivational.
initiative..This.concept.has.often.been.viewed.as.manipulation,.when.in.fact.it.is.an.
attempt.to.elicit.behavior.that.will.be.beneicial.to.the.worker.and.is.not.done.for.
retribution,.degradation,.or.punishment.of.workers..The.process.is.not.one.of.evalu-
ating.an.individual.but.a.process.of.identifying.a.behavior.that.can.be.understood.
and.measured.and.can.lead.to.positive.change..By.careful.observation.and.monitor-
ing,.the.extinction.of.the.aberrant.behavior.(unsafe.or.unhealthy.work.practices).can.
be.obtained.
This. can. be. accomplished. by. counting. or. charting. the. behavior. and. providing.
feedback. on. performance. as. well. as. reinforcing. the. desired. behavior.. Success. in.
getting.rid.of.unsafe.and.unhealthy.behaviors.is.something.that.can.be.evaluated.by.
conducting.a.survey/walk-around.and.actually.counting.the.number.of.undesirable.
behaviors.witnessed..Actually,.a.similar.survey.could.be.done.prior.to.starting.the.
behavior.modiication.effort..An.example.might.be.to.count.the.number.of.workers.
wearing.safety.eyewear.before.the.motivational.effort.and.then.count,.after.you.sense.
the.behavior.has.changed,.to.determine.the.impact.that.the.effort.has.had.
BehAvIor-BAsed sAFety
Behavior-based. safety. (BBS). is. an. approach. to. safety. that. focuses. on. workers'.
behavior.as.the.cause.of.most.work-related.injuries.and.illnesses..Promoters.of.BBS.
programs.maintain.that.80.percent.to.96.percent.of.workplace.incidents.are.caused.
by.workers'.unsafe.behavior.
In.fact,.many.safety.professionals.and.researchers.have.viewed.these.igures.as.
resulting.in.fault.inding.rather.than.fact.inding,.as.well.as.causing.workers.to.under-
report. accident/incident. events. to. prevent. themselves. from. becoming. the. target. of.
scrutiny,.enforcement,.discipline,.or.reprisal.
The. major. complaint. with. this. concept. is. that. it. overlooks. the. importance. of,.
or contribution.to,.preventing.accidents.that.unsafe.conditions.attribute.to.the.num-
bers.of.accidents/incidents.occurring..When.addressing.accident/incident.prevention,.
it has.never.been.my.personal.opinion.or.contention.that.addressing.only.unsafe.acts.
was.the.cure-all.in.the.accident.prevention.puzzle.
BBS.today.cannot.be.viewed.as.the.panacea.or.end-all.solution.for.the.prevention.of.
accidents.and.incidents,.but.rather.only.as.one.tool.in.the.arsenal.of.tools,.and.does.not.
