Build a Strong Safety Culture for a Safe and Efficient Workplace
Safety culture is not something abstract; it is the sum of how we act and communicate with one another in our daily lives. Culture is shaped by our behaviors—every day, in every decision, and in every action. By understanding which behaviors promote safety and creating systems to reinforce them, we can consciously build a strong safety culture. It’s not about slogans on the wall, but about what we actually do—consistently and together.
Safety culture is shaped by behaviour
Our safety culture is built on a variety of individual and collective behaviours that are reinforced or weakened over time (Braksick, 2007). If many safe behaviours are practiced within the organisation—such as using the proper protective equipment, reporting risks, or always shutting down and locking out equipment as agreed—the culture will reflect this. The opposite is also true: if there are many risky behaviours, the safety culture is weakened.
That is why it is crucial for organizations to take a structured approach to…
- Identify Safe Behaviours
- Reinforce Safe Behaviours
- Reduce risky behaviours
- Create a favorable organizational environment
…to bring about a long-term, sustainable shift in the safety culture.
Why do we need to work on safety culture?
Research shows that 80–90% of workplace accidents are caused by human error. However, rules, policies, and training alone are not enough to create a strong safety culture. We must understand why people act the way they do in order to address the right issues and reverse the trend of accidents. This is where behavioural analysis is absolutely crucial.
It is human nature to choose what feels easy, is quick, or feels good in the moment. We take shortcuts, even though we know we shouldn’t. It’s human, but it’s also risky in a safety-critical environment.
Leadership is crucial
Management's Commitment
Management demonstrates, both in words and actions, that safety comes first—in all situations. If managers do not show that they prioritize safety issues, it is difficult to garner commitment from the rest of the organization. Productivity must not come at the expense of safety. Working safely AND effectively is a key to success and significantly reduces business risks
Confident Leadership
Leadership plays a crucial role in shaping and strengthening the safety culture. Leaders who consistently demonstrate the right leadership behaviours are able to clarify and reinforce safe behaviours that guide the organisation in the right direction. Safe leadership also entails that leaders must have the courage and persistence to correct risk behaviours, clarify the desired behavioural change and investigate underlying deficiencies. The ability to...
- define safe behaviours,
- examine the conditions necessary for them,
- reinforce safe behaviours, and
- constructively correct risk behaviours
...forms the foundation of safe leadership.
Implementing a safety culture initiative
By “safety culture,” we mean behaviours—both safe and risky—that are reinforced or weakened over time by the organisation’s conditions, structure, leadership, and employees. If we work together to create favorable conditions and encourage safe behaviours, we will strengthen the safety culture and steer it in the right direction.
This section describes the steps that, based on research in the field of behavioral psychology, should be included in efforts to strengthen the safety culture.
Identify Safe Behaviours
Use surveys and risk analyses, and involve employees to identify the behaviours that contribute to a safer workplace. These behaviours should then be clearly described to all employees so that they understand what is expected of them and why it is important.
Organisational Conditions
A supportive work environment where there are sufficient resources to perform work safely and where the workload is manageable promotes a positive safety culture. It should be easy to practice safe behaviours in everyday work. This requires that the right conditions be established for these behaviours. This includes having the right equipment, sufficient time, and clear processes and procedures.
Proactive Follow-up and Management
Leading indicators (such as the frequency of safe behaviours and safe leadership behaviours) help the organisation proactively steer its workplace safety efforts. If we rely solely on lagging indicators like LTIF, we will always be one step behind. Introducing new indicators will also create a common thread between structure and culture. We measure and track what we want to see more of, thereby demonstrating that it is important and a priority.
Psychological Safety and a Reporting Culture
It is important that employees feel comfortable reporting shortcomings and speaking up when they discover errors, without fear of negative consequences. Research shows that organisations that systematically evaluate incidents and use the insights gained to improve safety measures tend to have stronger safety cultures.
Behaviour Analysis: A Scientifically Grounded Method
Behaviour analysis helps us understand why people act the way they do and is based on over 100 years of research. To understand how a behaviour arises and why it continues to occur, we use the ABC model, a fundamental model in behaviour analysis that stands for:
A – Antecedent (preceding cue or situation)
What happens immediately before a behaviour? It could be an instruction, a sign, a routine, or simply a situation in which a person is faced with a choice. For example: An employee is faced with the choice of whether or not to put on fall protection before performing an upcoming task.
B – Behaviour (what is done or said)
The actual behavior the person exhibits. What we can observe. In the example above: the person puts on the fall protection—or chooses not to.
C – Consequence (what happens immediately after the behaviour)
The consequences determine whether a behaviour will occur more or less frequently in the future. If the behaviour leads to positive feedback, a simplified workflow, or a sense of security, then it is reinforced.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR SAFETY EFFORTS?
People are driven by consequences—what truly shapes behaviour is not what wesayshould be done (A), but whatactually happens afterward(C). We quickly learn which behaviours “pay off” in everyday life.
In the context of safety work, this means that we must:
- Identify obstacles or negative consequences that stand in the way of doing the right thing
- Make sure that safe behaviours lead to positive, tangible consequences
- Avoid unintentionally rewarding risky behaviour, such as by moving faster or skipping uncomfortable parts
By working with the ABC model, we can clearly see why a behaviour occurs and what we can change to promote safe behaviours. It gives us a concrete roadmap to follow as we work to build and maintain a strong safety culture.
Avoid the pitfalls
At Behaviour Design Group, we help you navigate around the most common pitfalls in change management to achieve measurable results and ensure long-term sustainability of those results
Common Pitfalls in Change Management
It can range from spending too much time designing various types of incentives to influence behaviour, to adopting a deviation-based leadership approach, or failing to pinpoint exactly which behaviors will actually have an impact on the desired outcome.
As leading experts in OBM and BBS, we are more than just consultants—we are partners in change. With us by your side, you’ll have the tools and insights you need to navigate complex business challenges and achieve lasting results.
Curious about how you could grow by changing your behaviour?
It works—every time. Contact us to discuss how we can work together to achieve your desired results!