Behavioral Based Safety Program

Behavior Based Safety (BBS) is the "application of science of behavior change to real world problems“. "A process that creates a safety partnership between management and employees that continually focuses people's attentions and actions on theirs, and others, daily safety behavior. BBS "focuses on what people do, analyzes why they do it, and then applies a research-supported intervention strategy to improve what people do". To be successful a BBS program must include all employees, from the CEO to the front line workers. Including but not limited to hourly, salary, union employees, contractors and sub-contractors. To achieve changes in behavior, a change in policy, procedures and/or systems most assuredly will also need some change. Those changes cannot be done without buy-in and support from all involved in making those decisions. BBS is not based on assumptions, personal feeling, and/or common knowledge. To be successful, the BBS program used must be based on scientific knowledge.

Kiewit Building Group Newsletter 8/5/14 Volume 2 Week 32

Attitude is the KEY! One of the basic tenets of behavior based safety is the awareness that changes in behavior begin with changes in attitudes. It’s unreasonable to expect a person to act differently if they don’t have a genuine and personal interest in making that change. If a person views safety as one more top-down command that they are expected to obey “just because”, the best you can hope for is grudging acceptance.

Total Safety Culture • Holding safety as a ‘Value” and

not just a priority • Taking responsibility for the

safety of your co-workers in addition to yourself.

• Be willing and able to act on your sense of responsibility and go above the Call of Duty.

Why I Work Safe

Mission: The importance of staying focused and holding each other

accountable to ensure that we all go home safe every day.

The following are some requirements for any approach to safety at work that brings about noticeable, lasting results and contributes to a Total Safety Culture: 1. A strong management commitment towards maintaining and improving behavioral

safety, Witnessed in the regular activities and acts of individuals at a management level. 2. Respectful, trusting, open communication between management and employee groups

about all aspects of safety. 3. An open, feedback-rich culture among employees, which enables employees to

consistently learn and grow. 4. A commitment to improving the profile of and attitude to health and safety, and

increased employee engagement in safety. 5. An emphasis on safe and unsafe behavior; not a sole dependence on lagging indicators

such as safety statistics. 6. A strong, consistent, timely reaction to the discovery of unsafe acts, whether they result

in injury or not. Safety incidents are viewed as an opportunity to learn and improve. 7. Generally transparent and fair leadership from all, including managers, supervisors, and

owners. 8. Awareness amongst all staff of different ways to consider or query human factors- how

we do what we do and why.

Transactional vs. Transformational Leadership -- Which are you?

Transactional Leadership

• Transactional leadership styles are more concerned with maintaining the normal flow of operations. Transactional leadership can be described as "keeping the ship afloat."

• Transactional leaders use disciplinary power and an array of incentives to motivate employees to perform at their best. The term "transactional" refers to the fact that this type of leader essentially motivates subordinates by exchanging rewards for performance.

• A transactional leader generally does not look ahead in strategically guiding an organization to a position of market leadership; instead, these managers are solely concerned with making sure everything flows smoothly today

Transformational Leadership

• A transformational leader goes beyond managing day-to-day operations and crafts strategies for taking his company, department or work team to the next level of performance and success.

• Transformational leadership styles focus on team-building, motivation and collaboration with employees at different levels of an organization to accomplish change for the better.

• Transformational leaders set goals and incentives to push their subordinates to higher performance levels, while providing opportunities for personal and professional growth for each employee.

Transactional vs. Transformational Leadership -- Which are you?