A common and simple question asked to any one of us, be it an elite or a commoner, educated or illiterate, poor or rich - Do you want to fall sick or meet with accident?

100% of the answers will be - No. We all want to behave and choose as per our own will, convenience, habits, traits, and family culture. But, if our behavior varies, results and consequences too, shall follow different paths. Let us be rational, logical and justifiable in our own actions.

Why do Accidents occur?

Accidents are unplanned physical events with a set of definite causes behind them. They don't happen without any reason - all lies on our ingenuity to analyze and find out the reasons. It is true for both simple as well as technologically complex nature of happenings.

Technology is advancing constantly, and larger forces and energies of nature are being harnessed for human use and services. The atomic energy, which came was known to the common world in the form of nuclear blast of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 during the Second World War, is now being peacefully used for electricity generation and several other medical treatments and research.

Technology is advancing constantly, and larger forces and energies of nature are being harnessed for human use and services. The atomic energy, which came was known to the common world in the form of nuclear blast of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 during the Second World War, is now being peacefully used for electricity generation and several other medical treatments and research.

Processes are brought into the industrial applications only when safe and healthy measures are successfully tested for their ill and harmful effects. In such technical complexities too, mishaps occur due to human failure.

It becomes important to tackle those risks using systems, well-planned methodologies and up-to-date human behavior and care.

Role of Behavioural Safety in industries

Industrial workplaces convert raw input to finished goods and services for the outside world, using machines and processes under the command of workmen, supervisors, engineers, and managers. Safe systems and methods of work, healthy and safe working environment, safe plant & equipment are all important. However, there are limits to the improvements through this approach. Behavioural safety is a potential way of gaining further improvement in safety, health, and welfare of workforce through workforce involvement at all levels, in addition with employee commitment.

Behavioural safety is closely limited to company culture and values and when it works, it is an excellent tool to improve the safety performance in a workplace. A total safety culture is one in which individuals including contractors hold safety as a value and not just a priority; they take responsibility for the safety of their coworkers in addition to themselves - ‘even going beyond the call of duty’. This is a noble thought worth practicing.

Behavioural safety at workplace

  • Awareness amongst all the staff to consider human factors - how we do, what we do & why. Prompt people to engage in process of anticipation, recognition, and evaluation, control of impending hazards arising due to failures in set processes, procedures and systems.
  • Supportive, transparent and fair leadership from the supervisors, managers, and owners, i.e. a very strong management commitment towards maintaining and improving behavior safety.
    Trusting, cordial and open communication between management and employee groups on all aspects of safety within the workplace.
  • Not depending on reactive, lagging indicators such as safety statistics. Having positive and proactive approach to impart safety trainings to have strong and timely reactions to the discovery of unsafe acts. Safety incidents to be analyzed and viewed as an opportunity to learn, improve and grow.

Difference in approach - as observed in India and developed nations

In line with the call of OHS laws & regulations, developed countries have established safe systems and methods of work, healthy and safe work environment, and safe plant and equipment. As a part of continuous improvement process, developed nations are sincerely adopting behavioural safety in their industries. Results are obviously encouraging, and their industries are endowed with fine safety culture. These values are central to a successful enterprise.

Contrary to the above, Indian industries are lagging. Barring a few, in general, most of them do not accord any priority to safety. They view OHS as an inconvenience, as a cost rather than a benefit. The importance of good safety practices including behavioural safety at work is not properly understood and thus they fail to reap the benefits of being safe, healthy and happy.

They don't aim for best safety practices, only attempt to meet the bare minimum legal requirement on safety. Safety research is almost nil. The top Management is to be made aware and cautioned by legal authorities.

However, some forward–looking Indian industries have introduced good OHS systems and started developing behavioural safety at managerial levels. Others should take lessons and try to improve in the field of safety, health and welfare.