Behaviour Based Safety

Notes

Mindset, Attitude and Behaviour

Behaviour Based Safety

Safety Orientation
Introduction
The personal health, safety and well being of each Employee, worker at Companys site is considered to be one of
the most important responsibilities. Our safety objective is to educate each individual through an ongoing safety
program and provide the necessary information regarding safety standards. LabourNet is committed to providing
quality training and education in an environment that supports and reinforces proper safety practices and
procedures.
Procedures
The following procedures and requirements represent the minimum standard for compliance with a safe
environment. All staff must continue to ensure that up-to-date practices are in place.

All potentially dangerous equipment must be in good working order with all safety devices in place. Any
piece of equipment not meeting the standards as determined by COMPANY and/or the staff of the area will
be immediately shut down and secured until the problem has been rectified.
Managers and Supervisor are responsible and accountable for ensuring that their workers and staff have
received instruction on the safe and proper use of the equipment, including the proper use of safety
devices, used in their site.
All stationary equipment must have the safety procedures clearly posted next to the machine but mounted
in such a way as to not be a distraction to the operator.
Safety rules must be clearly posted in relevant areas.
Staff or workers who do not wear the properly prescribed safety equipment will be denied access to the
area.
In order to ensure the ongoing safe operation of equipment, there is to be a formal schedule of preventative
maintenance that has been developed by the user staff in conjunction with the supplier. The Company will
monitor preventative maintenance schedules as part of the routine inspection process.

Responsibility and Accountability for Safety

Worker Responsibilities
Every worker shall take reasonable care to protect his/her own health and safety, along with the safety of others
who may be affected by his/her actions or omissions at work. This basic responsibility includes but is not limited
to, the following:

Use all devices and wear all articles of clothing and personal protective equipment designed and provided
for protection, by employer or as required by the safety and health regulations.
Know and comply with all safety rules
Know and comply with the safety regulations.
Maintain good housekeeping within work area.
Promptly report all accidents and injuries and obtain proper medical attention.
Report any unsafe work conditions or unsafe practices to the Manager or supervisor.
Know and comply with any specific safe work procedures.

Behaviour Based Safety

Set a good example for fellow workers.

Cooperate with the Safety and Health Officer.

Supervisor's Responsibilities
The supervisor is responsible for promoting safety awareness and demonstrating that safe job performance is of
prime importance in the site. This basic responsibility includes, but is not limited to the following:

Before the start of each new project, discuss any specific hazardous conditions and advise of any
precautions to be taken.
Provide personal protective equipment and any other safety equipment required to perform the work
safely.
Maintain a housekeeping standard and assign definite responsibilities to individuals for good
housekeeping.
Conduct regular inspections, with the safety officer, for unsafe practices and conditions and ensure prompt
corrective action is taken to eliminate causes of accidents.
Aid in the investigation of accidents, determine the cause and take corrective action where necessary.
Enforce all construction safety rules and maintain compliance with all Rules and Regulations. Take
disciplinary action as necessary to ensure compliance with the rules.
Provide a good example for employees by always directing and performing work in a safe manner.
Provide safe working conditions for all workers under his supervision.

Hazard Assessment
Introduction
An important part of our safety program is to identify what hazards exist in the workplace. It is through the
assessment and control of these hazards that the frequency and severity of accidents are reduced, resulting in a
parallel reduction in human injury and financial costs.
Hazard Controls
Once all hazards have been identified, this safety program will use 3 different methods for controlling these
hazards.
Engineering Controls - this is the preferred method of control because they control the hazard at its source. These
controls are presented in order of preference below:

Elimination: applied at design stage; guards, scaffolds, etc.

Substitution: purchase a non-flammable solvent, etc.
Isolation: barriers, shields, etc.

Administration Controls - providing policies, procedures, and training on related topics.

Personal Protective Equipment - protective equipment is used for the prevention of injuries. This is the last option
used to protect workers. Workers should be properly trained in its use, care, and limitations of the equipment.

Behaviour Based Safety

Safety Inspections
Introduction
The identification of unsafe conditions and unsafe work practices by means of safety inspections during working
hours is a major means of accident prevention. It is COMPANY policy to maintain a program of safety inspections.
Whereby the objective, is to control hazards in the workplace and help prevent accidents and injuries. All sites
shall be included in the inspection program.
Inspections
Informal Inspections: will be conducted by the Safety Officer of the work site. These will be done on an ongoing
basis, with corrections of unsafe conditions or unsafe work practices given prompt attention.
Formal Inspections: shall be conducted by the safety committee on a regularly scheduled basis.

Safety Rules

Wear your safety glasses, hearing protection and any other personal protective equipment required on the
job to prevent injury.
Perform all work in accordance with acceptable safe work practices and your officers direction.
Operate all vehicles and mobile equipment in accordance with site rules and motor vehicle regulations. Do
not operate equipment unless you are trained in its use.
Maintain good housekeeping on your machine or in your work area.
Report all unsafe acts, unsafe conditions, or near miss incidents to your officer so that corrective action
may be taken.
Report any injuries, however small, or accidents immediately to your supervisor.
Workers must wear safety glasses or face shields for all operations where the eyes or face are exposed to
any flying objects, intense heat, injurious light or splash from hazardous chemicals.
No worker should operate any equipment in a manner that endangers him/her or any other worker.
Do not attempt to lift any object that is heavier than your ability to handle safely; get assistance from a
fellow worker.
Never leave a machine running while unattended, except for stationary equipment like welders,
compressors or when special precautions have been taken. After shut down, return the machinery to deenergized positions; buckets lowered to the ground, brakes locked, etc.
Do not clean, oil, or adjust any equipment or machinery while it is in motion.
Do not remove guards, except for repair or adjustments; replace guards before operating.
Only authorized personnel may do electrical work of any kind.
Lock-out and tag any equipment before attempting any maintenance or adjustments on it. Only the person
who places the lock-out tag on the equipment has authorization to remove the tag.

The following are prohibited at all times on all sites:

Consuming or being in possession of alcohol or illegal drugs, on company work sites or premises.
Arriving for work or remaining at work when your ability to perform the job safely is impaired.

Behaviour Based Safety

Using defective tools or equipment without guards or safety devices in place.

Attempting to operate any equipment unless you are instructed or trained in its use.
Theft, vandalism, or any other abuse of company property or equipment.

Personal Protective Equipment

Personal Protective Equipment Policy
Due to the nature of the work, along with the various hazards that workers are exposed to on a daily basis, it is
necessary for the contractor to:

Provide the appropriate protective equipment to all employees

Instruct each worker on the proper use and care of such equipment
Enforce compliance with this policy
The personal protective equipment policy is aimed at the prevention of injury.

PPE is categorized in two ways:

1. Safety equipment that is to be worn at all times, i.e. Safety glasses, safety shoes, etc.
2. Protective equipment used for injury prevention for specific job tasks, i.e. welding helmets with face and
eye protection, gloves when handling sharp objects, etc.
Eye and Face Protection
Eye protection shall be worn when the work to be done results in exposure to eye hazards. Sources of injury are:

Flying particles of dust, sand, splinters, and metal fragments, concrete debris, etc.
Chemical splashes or eye contact with other toxic materials.
Radiation hazards - welding operations are sources of UV radiation which can result in welders flash,
cataracts, or burns on the retina.
Blows to the eye - usually from a heavy object.

The following lists the eye and face protection required for various tasks:
Welding

Welding helmet plus correct shaded lens

with clear safety glasses and side shields
under helmet.

Welding Helper

Safety glasses with side shields or cutting

goggles.

Gas Cutting

Welders goggles.

Behaviour Based Safety

Hammering Metal, Sledging, Jack hammering, Safety glasses with side shields.
Drilling or Cutting Concrete
Portable or Bench Grinding

Face shields and safety glasses with side

shields.

Chipping or Scraping Anything

Safety glasses with side shields.

Use Compressed Air or Wire Brushing

Safety glasses with side shields.

Hand Chiseling

Safety glasses with side shields.

Maintenance Under Vehicles

Face shield or safety glasses with side

shields.

Handling any Hazardous Material the may Close-fitting chemical splash goggles.
Splash

Respiratory Protection
Respiratory protection will be provided to prevent any toxic or hazardous material from being inhaled by workers.
Exposure to toxic materials can come from entering excavations or confined spaces that contain gasoline or other
vapors or contain carbon monoxide, methane or hydrogen sulfide (poisonous sewer gases). Maintenance workers
can be exposed to solvent, paint or adhesive vapors as well as exhaust emissions. Also, compressed gas used in
welding operations, acetylene, nitrogen or propane can produce inhalation exposures of concern.

Safety & Health

The Joint Health & Safety Team must consist of between 4 and 12 members at least one half must consist of nonmanagement workers.
The Joint Health & Safety Team shall hold meetings at least quarterly.
Function & Duties

The receipt, consideration and disposition of concerns and complaints respecting workers safety and
health.
Participation in the identification of risks to workers on the job.
The development and promotion of measures to protect workers.
Co-operation with the Safety Officer
The development and promotion of education programs.
The maintenance of safety meeting records.

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Rights
Workers have the right to
Know
Participate
Refuse

Emergency Preparedness
Overview
Every workplace is faced with a certain amount of risk despite everyones efforts to prevent accidents; we must be
prepared for an emergency. Our objective for emergency response is to ensure a quick recovery from a serious
accident or incident. Our top priorities should be to:

Minimize injury to staff and students.

Minimize damage to the public and property.
Assist in restoring normal conditions as directed.

Emergency Priorities
In the event of an emergency our initial steps should involve assessing the hazard, evacuating personnel from the
area, identifying any resources and delegating priority activities, such as acquiring outside emergency assistance,
rendering first aid, crowd control, etc.

Contact key personnel (security dispatch, first aid and safety).

Give exact location.
Provide a short detailed account of the incident and ask for the required assistance (Fire, Ambulance or
Police).
Identify any types of injuries.
Remain in contact with security dispatch.

Accident Investigation
Accident Investigation Policy
It is companys policy to investigate all:

Accidents resulting in injuries that require time lost from work.

Accidents resulting in injuries that require medical assistance.
Accidents resulting in damage to equipment, materials, or property.
Incidents that may have resulted in a fatality, serious injury or property loss.

Investigation Procedure

Look after the injured first.

Secure the accident scene or equipment, and notify the Safety Officer immediately.

Behaviour Based Safety

Ensure no further injuries or damage can occur.

Determine what took place and how the accident occurred.
Examine the equipment, activities or materials involved.
Collect any physical evidence, take pictures or make a hand sketch.
Interview workers or witnesses and make notes as to how the accident occurred.
Identify any hazardous conditions, unsafe acts or underlying causes leading to the accident.
Take action that will prevent and recurrence of the accident.

Safety Policy
Introduction
Company believes that a safety and health Accident Prevention Program is unenforceable without some type of
disciplinary policy. Company believes that in order to maintain a safe and healthful workplace, the employees
must be cognizant and aware of all company, State safety and health regulations as they apply to the specific job
duties required.
Compliance with the following Safety Policy and all items contained therein is mandatory for all employees of the
company. The authorization and responsibility for enforcement has been given primarily to the Responsible
Person. The Other Responsible Person(s) share in this responsibility as well.

Policy
It is company policy that accident prevention be a prime concern of all employees. This includes the safety and
well being of employees, subcontractors, and customers, as well as the prevention of wasteful, inefficient
operations, and damage to property and equipment.

Applicability
This Safety Policy applies to all employees regardless of position within the company. The Safety Rules contained
herein apply to all subcontractors and anyone who is on a company project site. Every employee is expected to
comply with the Safety Policy, and Safety Standards.

Implementation
Fundamentals of Safety Policy
Management commitment to safety
Weekly tool box safety meetings at all jobsites.
Effective job safety training for all categories of employees.
Job hazard analysis provided to all employees.
Audio and/or visual safety presentations given at jobsites by Responsible Person.
Various incentive awards for exemplary safety performance.
The Safety Team will meet at least once a month to evaluate all areas of safety and make recommendations.

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Administration
The Safety Policy will be carried out in accordance with the guidelines established and published in this and other
related procedures. The Supervisor / Manager concerned would be responsible for meeting all of the Safety Policy
requirements, and for maintaining an effective accident prevention attempt within his or her area of responsibility.
The Supervisor / Manager concerned must ensure that all accidents are carefully investigated and reported to the
officer concerned on the same day of the occurrence.

Injury Reporting
All Employees will be held accountable for filling out a Injury Notice Form" straight away after an injury occurs,
even if medical treatment is not required. (Notice must be made at or near the time of the injury and on the same
day of the injury.) Employees must report the injury to their supervisor/Project Manager, etc.
Employees should let their Manager / Supervisor know:
How the employee think they hurt themselves.
What activity the employee was doing at the time.
Who were the employees working with at that point of time?
When and where the injury happened.
Other relevant information that will assist in the investigation of the incident.
If the injury is not reported immediately it would be considered as a violation of the Safety Policy, and may result
in instant termination, in accordance with company policy.

Notifications
In Case where there is Serious Injury or Death
In case there is an injury on the site; the injured person has to be taken to the hospital, the Supervisor shall inform
the main office and the person concerned as soon as possible.
Statement from the fellow workers should be taken. Statements should be signed by fellow workers and should
include the time and date. Photographs of the area where the accident occurred and any other significant things
are to be taken. The person concerned will assist in the investigation. The completed accident report form will
sent to the main office.
In Case of Inspection by COMPANY Inspector or State Governing Agency
The employee must inform the person concerned COMPANY Inspector is on the site. It is the responsibility of all
employees to make the inspectors visit on the site as pleasant and timely as possible.

Basic Rules of Safety

Compliance with relevant safety rules and regulations is a condition of employment.

Regardless of how minor the injuries are, all must be reported to the supervisor and the Safety Office
immediately. An employee who fails to fill the Injury Notice Form" and send it to the Safety Office can be
issued a safety violation notice and may be subject to termination, in accordance with company policy. In

Behaviour Based Safety

the event of an accident involving personal injury or damage to property, all persons involved in any way
will be required to for medical testing.
Appropriate protective equipment must be worn for the task/service being performed
Firearms, alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs are not allowed on company property or in company vehicles
at any time. The use or possession of illegal drugs or alcoholic beverages on the site will result in
immediate termination.
Housekeeping should be an essential part of every job. The working area should be kept clean and hazard
free and it would be the responsibility of Machinist workers and employees. Clean up is required when a
job is finished at the end of the day.
Drinking water containers are to be used for drinking water and ice only. Tampering with or placing items
such as drinks in the water cooler will result immediate termination.
All tools whether company or personal, must be in good working condition. Defective tools will not be
used.
All extension cords, drop cords, and electrical tools shall be checked, properly grounded with ground fault
interrupters, and color-coded by a designated competent person each month. This shall be part of the
assured grounding program. Cords and equipment that do not meet requirements shall be immediately
tagged and removed from service until repairs have been made.
Running on the site is allowed only in extreme emergencies.
Report all unsafe conditions and near accidents to the person concerned so corrective action can be taken.

Enforcement of Safety Policy

Safety violation notice(s) shall be issued to any employee, subcontractor, or anyone on the site violating the safety
rules or regulations by the person concerned.

Any violation of safety rules can result in suspension or immediate termination.

Any employee receiving three (3) written general violations within a six (6) month period shall be
terminated.
Issuance of a safety violation notice for failure to use fall protection or for failure to report a job injury (at
the time of the injury) may result in immediate termination, in accordance with company policy.

It is understood that Company is not restricting itself to the above rules and regulations. Additional rules and
regulations as dictated by the job will be issued and posted as needed.

Safety Culture & Climate

Introduction
Safety Culture is the enduring value and priority placed on workers and public safety by everyone in every group at
every level of an organization.
It refers to the extent to which individuals and groups will commit to:
Personal responsibility for safety
Act to preserve safety
Enhance and communicate safety concerns

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Strive to actively learn
Adapt and modify behavior based on lessons learned from mistakes
Be rewarded in a manner consistent with these values.

Elements of a Safety Culture

Organizational Commitment to Safety
Refers to the degree to which an organizations upper management prioritizes safety in decision-making and
allocates adequate resources to safety
An organizations commitment to safety can be reflected by three major components:
Safety Values
Safety Fundamentals
Going Beyond Compliance
Operational Personnel
Refers to the degree to which those directly involved in the supervision of employees safety behavior are actually
committed to safety and reinforce the safety values espoused by upper management.
These personnel include
Supervisors/foremen
Maintenance supervision
Safety Trainers

Formal Safety System

Refers to the processes for reporting and addressing both occupational and process safety hazards.
These systems include

Reporting systems
Feedback and response
Safety personnel
Informal Safety System
Refers to the unwritten rules pertaining to safety behavior including rewards and punishments for safe and unsafe
actions
These systems include:
Accountability
Authority
Employee professionalism

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Safety Climate
Safety Climate is the temporal measure of safety culture
Subject to commonalities among individual perceptions of the organization
It is therefore situational based
Key Differences
Culture vs. Climate
Safety Culture is commonly viewed as an enduring characteristic
Safety Climate is viewed as a temporary state that is subject to change depending on current circumstance
Safety Culture is the attitudes, values, norms, and beliefs that a particular group of people share with respect to risk
and safety
Safety Climate can be defined as a snapshot of employees perceptions of the current environment or prevailing
conditions which impact upon safety
Safety Culture is a group of individuals guided in their behavior by their joint belief in the importance of safety.
Safety Climate varies individually depending on current perceptions and can change daily. Perception of safety
procedures and rules are a reflection of safety climate.
Safety Cultures build joint responsibility between individuals from management to employee.
Creating a Safety Culture
1. Commitment at all levels
The organisation adopts safety and health as a core value and actively cares for the workforce. The vision for the
organisation is that the workplace will be free of incidents/injuries and safety and health is integrated into every
aspect of the work process. This attitude is evident throughout the organisation from the managing director
through to the newest and most inexperienced member of the workforce.
2. Safety and health are treated as an investment not a cost
Risk management of safety and health issues is not treated as a cost, but as a way to improve the performance of
the organisation. Safety and health is reported on as part of the budget development process and funded
accordingly.
3. Safety and health is part of continuous improvement
If safety and health is integrated into every part of the organisation then it becomes part of the continuous
improvement process. This means that resources and time is set aside to ensure that the organisation can identify
the weaknesses and develop strategy to resolve and strengthen safety performance.
4. Training and information is provided for everyone
People who are provided with regular information about safety and health at work is more likely to be mindful of
safety and health issues and the ways in which their actions can affect themselves and others. Posters, warning
signs and policies are not enough. Safety and health discussions and information distribution should be built into
all aspects of the work process from board meetings to individual interactions.
People who are properly trained in their jobs and are aware of the hazards associated with the role they, or those
they supervise, perform are less likely to suffer or cause injury. Training can take a variety of forms and should be
ongoing throughout an individuals time with the organisation.

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5. A system for workplace analysis and hazard prevention and control is in place
Management systems, safety systems and individual attitudes and perceptions can be researched, measured and
analyzed to gain a picture of the current state of the organisation and reveal barriers that prevent people from
performing at their best. This is often referred to as a climate survey and assists in establishing a base line for the
organisation to start from. Climate surveys are conducted at regular intervals in organizations that strive for a
good safety culture to measure successes.
Reporting systems are easy to use i.e. compact, open-ended, and impersonal and in practice management want to
know and learn from hazard identification and near misses before they become accidents. Attention is paid to the
details and small events. The way reports are analyzed is agreed to ensure that individual and system issues are
revealed and appropriate control measures taken.
6. The environment in which people work is blame free
Trust is an essential part of a good safety culture and often the most difficult hurdle to overcome in establishing a
safety culture. Everyone in the organisation is encouraged to realize that incidents are worth reporting and feels
comfortable in correcting unsafe practice across, down and up the hierarchy. If this is the case, management
actually knows what is going on and the workforce tell the truth, even if it is not what management may want to
hear. Holding people at all levels accountable for safety means embracing bad news.
7. The organisation celebrates successes
Recognition, rewards, incentives, reinforcement and feedback are important. A good safety culture makes it
worthwhile for everyone to maintain a state of mindfulness by celebrating success whether big or small.
Safety culture is about improving safety and health management with a holistic, whole of organisation, whole of life
approach.
To develop a safety culture, change needs to be driven from the highest levels. The extent to which you can
influence the organisation largely depends on your place within the hierarchy.
The first place to start is to talk about the issue to senior management through existing communications structures
such as:
Team meetings
Strategic planning sessions
Safety and health representative networks
Safety and health committees
Suggestion schemes
Use existing information to support your arguments such as:
Accident/incident rates
Workers compensation costs
Absenteeism rates
Numbers of reported hazards
The existence (or lack of) OSH supporting structures and programs
Budget allocation to safety and health initiatives from annual reports etc

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What Should Be Done?

Create Awareness.
Presumably, that is why you are reading this communications package. Corporate and/or site leadership need an
awareness of the importance of safety culture to safety performance. The case histories included in this package
should allow you to demonstrate the potential consequences that can result from a weak safety culture. The
exercises or workshops that you may choose to conduct based upon the tools and guidance in this communications
package should help identify any of the more obvious issues and set the stage for further, more detailed
evaluations of your safety culture.
Identify a Champion.
While every member of the organization should be a supporter of a sound safety culture, your organization may
require a Champion if the scope of the cultural transformation is large. Perhaps that is you. Whoever fulfils this
role must understand the dynamics of safety cultures and the process for, and obstacles to, implementing cultural
change. The Bibliography included in this package lists a number of excellent texts on the topic. Become a student.

Behaviour Based Safety

Perform a gap analysis.
Learn/evaluate how your culture is performing in contrast with the 11 key attributes. Identify where the gaps are
and prioritize a risk-based response to closing this gaps. This is simply stated and difficultly done. Gaining a full
understanding of the dynamics of your culture and determining the root causes of any problems is likely not an
overnight exercise. However, there are likely to be some readily apparent first steps that could be taken to start
the process.
Steward cultural change.
When we talk of managing culture, it is important that we recognize that leaderships potency in this matter is
limited to inspiring, enabling, and nurturing cultural change. Since leaders cannot change an organizations values
and beliefs through edict, it is not possible to mandate cultural change.
Acceptable behaviors must be modeled at all levels of the organization through leadership by example. Values
must be communicated and reinforced frequently. The rationale for, and anticipated benefits of, sanctioned
behaviors must be made evident to all. Positive reinforcement and accountabilities for behaviors must be certain.
Leadership is Essential
How does safety become a value?
Consistent demonstrable leadership senior managers should instill safety is a value to all employees and design a
safety vision. This vision should spell out the entities objectives, standards, and what actions they will be taking to
reach it.
Upper management need to develop and personally commit to Safety
This can be accomplished by:

Leading by example
Highlighting an unsafe condition or practice and correcting it on the spot (without casting blame)
Dont allow the Im too busy phrase to impede the process. Set aside an hour to 1 hour a day to visit
operational areas

Focusing on Success and Not Failure

Measure proactive successes

Number of weekly safety inspections

Number of personnel safety trained
Number of personnel receiving safety refreshers
Number of SOPs reviewed
Number of remedial actions completed
Number of near misses reported
Number of safety suggestions received

Core Safety Leadership Qualities

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Instill respect and command

Lead the Team by example
Draw on knowledge and experience
Remain calm in a crisis
Practice Tough empathy
Be sensitive to different cultures
Recognize the worker's limitations
Motivate and create a sense of community
Place the safety of passengers and crew above everything
Communicate and listen clearly

Safety Management is Key for Maintaining a Safety Culture

Different from safety leadership, safety management deals with the practical implementation of the espoused
vision
The importance of safety should be continuously sold to managers and supervisors
Middle managers should engage employees in safety conversations
Ask what can be done to prevent an injury while performing a certain job. If something is identified be prepared to
deal with it as quickly as possible and monitor the status of the remedial action until completion.

Proactive Focus on Safety at the Operational Level

One of the primary causes of accidents is poor management control

Front line managers play a HUGE role in embedding safety visions within the file and rank employees
Front line managers MUST NEVER turn a blind eye to unsafe practices or condition

This will be seen as visionary lip service!

Management Responsibilities
Front line managers should be vigorously encouraged to:

Correct any and all unsafe acts when seen

Identify unsafe conditions
Discuss safety with the work group each and every day
Close any outstanding remedial actions
Conduct safety training and risk assessments
Provide feedback on safety issues to the workgroup
Praise and or acknowledge people who are doing things safely

Instilling Employee Ownership

How people are approached about safety will generally determine their subsequent behavior and values
ALL levels of management must actively show they care about the well being and safety of every employee

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Behavioral Safety
Behave to act, react, or function in some specified way
Safety being safe, freedom from risk or danger
Behavioral safety the way in which an individual responds to a decision involving risk or safety
Challenges of Tomorrow

Focus on safety behavior, not safety attitudes

Entails adopting a collaborative problem solving approach to identifying critical sets of safe and unsafe
behaviors
Management and employees MUST participate together

Leadership Responsibility
Introduction
Safety performance is a challenge for everyone in the construction industry. India has a poor safety record, with
injury and fatality rates within the building and construction industry being the third highest across all industries.
All levels of management need to provide on-site workers, arguably those at the greatest risk of injury, with the
consistent and clear message that safety is critical and safe behaviour needs to be consistently adopted throughout
the industry.
It is suggested that high injury and fatality rates are due to on-site workers not being advised of these messages in
a consistent way, which is in part due to the lack of a consistent industry-wide understanding of the meaning of
safety competency, with the sector traditionally not recognizing behaviours such as communication and leadership
as integral to safety competency.

Understand safety culture

Why is this step important?
A safety culture is an organizational culture that places a high level of importance on safety beliefs, values and
attitudes and these are shared by the majority of people within the company or workplace. It can be
characterized as the way we do things around here. A positive safety culture can result in improved occupational
health and safety and organizational performance.
For a safety culture to be successful it needs to be led from the top that is, safety culture needs to be embraced
and practiced by the Management and Senior Managers. Their behaviour is directly related to safety performance
as it demonstrates by example to employees what actions will be rewarded, tolerated or punished, which in turn
influences what actions and behaviour employees initiate and maintain.
The first part of management commitment is to examine individual attitudes towards safety. Senior managers need
to ask themselves:
How important is safety?

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Is safety important most of the time or all of the time?

Is it OK to compromise on safety if its going to be more expensive?

Companies that want to have a positive safety culture, which everyone owns, should develop and promote
managers with the right knowledge, skills and attitudes to successfully undertake the responsibilities of the
safety critical positions identified
In Construction Industry we have identified nine broad behaviours, or culture actions, that are considered essential to
the development of a positive safety culture. These are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Communicate company values

Demonstrate leadership
Clarify required and expected behaviour
Personalize safety outcomes
Develop positive safety attitudes
Engage and own safety responsibilities and accountabilities
Increase hazard/risk awareness and preventive behaviours
Improve understanding and effective implementation of safety management systems
Monitor, review and reflect on personal effectiveness.

Communicate company values

Relate behaviours, decisions and attitudes that are expected, supported and valued by the company
Organizational safety values vary from company to company. They can be based on zero incident programs or
defined as a general preventive statement (e.g. prevention of work-related injury and illness by providing a safe
and healthy work environment for a companys employees and subcontractors).
The real message for any safety values approach is safety first. Safety should become a part of your everyday
values and action, and not be seen as an extra task.
Messages can be communicated and embedded via:
Company Safety policy statements
Safety posters
Toolbox talks
'Walk-arounds by management
Regular reinforcement by all non-safety managers

Demonstrate Leadership
Act to motivate and inspire others to work towards achieving a particular goal or outcome by
sending clear and consistent messages about the importance of Health and Safety.
Leading from the top down can be demonstrated by:

Seeking staff engagement and participation when developing safety tools (e.g. checklist inspections, safe
work method statements, job safety analyses)
Wearing personal protective equipment when on-site

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Conducting periodic checklist inspections

Conducting periodic risk assessments
Conducting periodic toolbox talks.

Leadership attributes can also be fostered among all people on-site based on developing ownership. Consider
seeking staff engagement and participation when developing safety tools such as checklist inspections or safe
work method statements/job safety analyses. Compliance with these is more likely if the individual has a sense
of ownership of the task.

Clarify required and expected behaviours

Clarify to immediate employees the specific behaviours required and expected of them
Develop and standardize behaviours and actions by clearly communicating via:

Emails
Memos
Informal conversations
Toolbox talks
Other communication processes used in your company
Addressing inappropriate behaviours, actions or lack of action
Reinforcing appropriate behaviours and actions with praise or thanks

Personalize safety outcomes

Make Health and Safety more obvious, relevant and emotional for the individual to personalize their
role in preventing and eliminating risks and hazards.
Managers can personalize the impact of an employee injury or death by communicating:

The personal impact of the risks of a process or distinct task when an individual is injured or becomes ill;
or if his or her actions (or lack of them) cause injury, illness or death to a workmate
Why it is important to the individual and the project that employees ensure their own safety and health and
that of others
The behaviours your company expects everyone to consistently adopt.

The impact of a death on-site can be personalized by relating that the deceased is not just an anonymous fatality
statistic reported in annual workers compensation reports, but a workmate who has a name, a partner, children,
parents and siblings.
Emphasize that the construction industry still has far too many avoidable injuries and fatalities, and that in some
Indian jurisdictions; individuals may be held accountable under reckless conduct or workplace death provisions.
Consequences of this accountability could include heavy fines and/or imprisonment.

Develop positive safety attitudes

Foster the development of attitudes and beliefs that support safe behaviour

Behaviour Based Safety

The significance of driving down the safety culture to the site or project, where the risk exposure is the greatest,
cannot be overestimated. Companies that encourage managers, employees and subcontractors to challenge unsafe
behaviours and attitudes in others, and to also recognize and encourage those who have shown a positive attitude
towards safety, will maximize the likelihood of positive attitudes and beliefs becoming shared values, resulting in a
positive safety culture.
By developing positive behaviours and encouraging open and informed conversations, managers are creating an
environment where it is OK for anyone to challenge unsafe behaviours and attitudes in others. The absence of
safety policies and procedures or a lack of commitment to safety makes it more difficult to develop and maintain a
positive safety culture.
Some overall values, beliefs and attitudes that should be fostered and regularly reinforced as personally relevant are:
Values

Workforce lives and wellbeing are important people should go home in the same condition they came to
work in
Doing the right thing is important.

Beliefs

Speaking up about safety wont threaten my job

If I do speak out, something will be done
If I dont act, I would be responsible if something happened
Good construction is about working safely it is not a separate concern.

Attitudes

My personal safety is more important than money

Wellbeing and personal safety in the workplace are more important than money.

Engage and own safety responsibilities and accountabilities

Increase input, actions and involvement in the safety management process by individuals
On a safe site people will:

Understand what they need to do and why they need to do it

Think about what they are doing before they do it
Look for hazards proactively and manage risks before they cause harm
Take care of hazards themselves without needing policing
Believe they are responsible and accountable for making sure that they and their workforce remain healthy
and safe
Follow site rules

Ownership is one of the indispensable cornerstones of a successful safety culture. To encourage or develop
ownership, managers can foster and maintain the following:

Behaviour Based Safety

Engaging employees
Obtaining employee input into safety management on a daily basis not just through Safety committees
or other formal means
Reducing the us versus them mentality through building trust
Involving all site management in the planning process
Sharing the information with on-site workers.
Building relationships
Creating a sense of belonging through team building
Providing opportunities for people to meet socially (e.g. BBQs)
Having regular conversations at a social level (e.g. enquiring about things important in colleagues lives)
Generating conversations about safety subtle weaving of safety into general conversation
Providing good site amenities that promote interaction and show that management cares for the wellbeing
of site employees (e.g. clean and tidy crib rooms, tea, coffee and hand washing facilities and clean toilets).
Demonstrating support
Trusting peoples judgments on safety and opinions on work matters
Having an open-door policy by encouraging people to speak openly about safety breaches
Empowering by rewarding those who raise safety issues and helping them to progress and resolve issues.
Increase hazard/risk awareness and preventive behaviours
Increase the individuals (site and office based) understanding of the Health and Safety outcomes associated
with their decisions, behaviours and actions.
Meaningful two-way communication is key to heightening hazard and risk awareness as it enables necessary
preventive behaviours to be generated among employees and contractors. Proactive identification and controlling
of hazards and risk exposure are required under Safety Rules laws, but are also cornerstones of a productive safety
culture that take safety beyond legal compliance.
Managers ability to communicate clearly and concisely in oral and written format for formal and informal
occasions is vital in ensuring the management of Safety performance. Effective communication for managers is a
skill that is based on effective awareness raising, giving feedback and interpersonal skills.
Communication competencies
Group communication
Giving feedback
Interpersonal skills.
Companies that encourage management to obtain these communication competencies will increase their likelihood
of successfully increasing hazard/risk awareness and preventive behaviours.
Well planned communication is critical if a company wants to increase awareness, and when speaking with people
about changing or improving their behaviour. It can also help build mutual trust between management and the site
workforce.
Effective communication should:
Be clear and direct

Behaviour Based Safety

Be relevant to those receiving the message

Avoid blame (as this is likely to create defensiveness and the message will not be heard)
Emphasize the personal impact of the action or decision.

Communicators are also active listeners. Active listening means really hearing what the speaker is saying, not just
waiting for your turn to speak. By confirming the listener understands what is being said, there is an increased
likelihood of the speaker and listener having a shared understanding of the matter. An important offshoot of good
communication is creating an environment where messages can be listened to and heard.
Active and better listening can happen by:

Mirroring (matching/copying language and body language)

Reflecting (confirming understanding by repeating key points in senders message)
Paraphrasing (summarizing what has been said to confirm shared understanding).

Regardless of the circumstances or the language used, the consistent message is always that safety is a shared
responsibility.
Safety focused managers will provide

Consistent communication of the consequences of at risk behaviours and why they should be avoided
under all circumstances
Consistent communication of the companys values, policies and procedures throughout the project/site,
including management, workforce, contractors and subcontractors
A shared understanding of key hazards and their risks, and engagement by everyone throughout the site
and the company to achieve solutions
Hazard-specific training to their workforce
A collaborative approach to hazard identification/risk assessment and control.

Improve understanding and effective implementation of safety management systems

Enable individuals to increase their knowledge of specific ways in which hazards are managed, as well as
their ability to apply and implement the actual Health and Safety processes
Managers can improve their OH&S knowledge by getting involved with the people who are doing the actual work
or specific tasks. Increased knowledge should result in:

The ability to identify unsafe work practices and unsafe behaviours

The ability to do things
The ability to problem solve to achieve safer work practices and safer behaviours

To increase uniformity, predictability and understanding of safety behaviours and their elements,. Regardless of
the developmental stage of your company or the tools it currently uses, it is important that there is the ability to
systematically:

Analyze and inspect the entire working environment to identify and assess risks as well as design and
implement appropriate safety management systems and evaluate their effectiveness

Behaviour Based Safety

Assess the resources needed to establish and maintain safety management systems
Prioritize hazards and appropriate controls according to assessment and evaluation of risks
Consider a range of control measures to address possible inadequacies
Consider when to seek expert advice.

Companies can demonstrate their commitment to safety by having senior managers periodically on-site, and taking
an active interest in Safety. This, in conjunction with the systems outlined in this and the other culture actions can
develop engagement and ownership of safety responsibilities and accountabilities.
Monitor, review and reflect on personal effectiveness
Frequently use various sources of information to gain feedback on the effectiveness of culture actions and
other safety related behaviours
This culture action enables managers to fine tune and continually improve their ability and effectiveness in
completing the other eight listed culture actions, through the use of various sources of information and
communication to gain feedback on the effectiveness of culture actions and other safety-related behaviours.
Leadership style is also important in developing and maintaining a positive site safety culture. Central to any
leadership approach is the ability to foster good relationships with other managers and the workforce. Better
relationships increase the likelihood that people will behave in a way that will achieve the safety goals articulated
in the company values. If managers have good relationships with their employees, contractors and subcontractors,
and they behave in a manner that promotes working safely, those working on-site are more likely to behave safely.
For positive relationships, seek to develop a style that promotes close involvement with site employees to build
trust and respect, while still maintaining authority and adherence to the safety processes.