This book makes the case that far too much work undertaken under the banner of ‘behavioural safety’ is overly person-focused. ‘If you can walk on hot coals, you can do anything – so be safe’ needs to be dismissed out of hand, but also more advanced techniques based on coaching and empowerment fail to reflect the fact that, as ‘Just Culture’ models show, the great majority of causes of unsafe behaviour are environmental. Our methodologies mustn’t focus on the person with an open mind that there may be an underlying root cause; they must start from the statistically proven assumption that there is an underlying cause. This shift in mindset has a profound impact on the type of methodologies we must lead with, how they are used, how they are perceived, and last but certainly not least, their efficacy.
A Definitive Guide to Behavioural Safety is a one-stop guide to all of the core theories and principles that underpin behaviour-based safety. All front-line behaviours that lead to incidents and injury are covered by the term behavioural safety, and getting to grips with the behaviours that might lead people to engage in unsafe or risky behaviour is crucial to prevention. In this book, internationally acclaimed behavioural safety expert Tim Marsh leads the reader through the three main strands:
- The awareness approach.
- The walk-and-talk approach.
- The Six Sigma safety or the Deming-inspired ‘full’ approach.
Going through the very latest innovations in the field, the book covers the systemic approach to safety observation, measurement, intervention and analysis, but also incorporates emotional intelligence training aimed at enhancing supervisor–worker trust and communication more generally. A Definite Guide to Behavioural Safety is a perfect guide for any professional, whether you’re aiming to set up an ambitious and wide-ranging behavioural safety programme from scratch or you’re looking to refresh or extend an existing approach.
Table of Contents:
Introduction - Behavioral Safety: Where Are We Now?
Part One - Identifying and Addressing the Problem
Chapter One - Why People Take Risks at Work
Chapter Two - Safety Training as Ground Zero
Chapter Three - Heinrich’s Principle: Version 2.0
Chapter Four - A Lack of Safety Leadership
Part Two - Behavioral Safety Solutions
Chapter Five - Planning For Behavioral Safety
Chapter Six – Identifying Risks and Pitfalls
Chapter Seven - Person-Focused Methodologies and Human Factors
Chapter Eight - A ‘Don’t Do That’ Approach
Chapter Nine - Generic Skills
Chapter Ten - Systemic Behavioral Analysis
Chapter Eleven - Led and Behavioral Measurement
Suggested Reading List
About the Author :
Tim Marsh was one of the team leaders of the original UK research into behavioural safety in the early 1990s, and is a Chartered Psychologist and a Chartered Fellow of IOSH. He ran the open courses on Behavioural Safety and Safety Culture for IOSH for many years. He has worked with hundreds of companies around the world, including the BBC, the National Theatre and the European Space Agency, as well as the usual list of blue-chip organizations from manufacturing, utilities, food and drink, oil and gas, and pharmaceutics. He was awarded a President’s Commendation by the Institute of Risk and Safety Management in 2008 and was selected as their first ever ‘Specialist Fellow’ in 2010. The author of several bestselling books, Tim has contributed dozens of articles to magazines such as the Safety and Health Practitioner and Health and Safety at Work, as well as international magazines such as India Safe. Tim has a reputation as an interactive and engaging communicator and as a keynote speaker at major safety events all around the world, including the inaugural Campbell Institute International Thought Leadership event in 2013.
Review :
"...he sets out to provoke a debate about BBS (and) is well positioned to do so having been part of the seminal research...an enjoyable read... there is very useful examination of communication, the need for good behavioural data and analysis, planning, good material on coaching .. and pleased to see, in a section on wellbeing, the author highlighting that workplace safety is the least of our concerns.. a lot of very useful questioning and signposting... (so in conclusion) this is a very useful primer, extremely accessible and worthy of a read by anyone... highly recommended. Buy it, read it, keep it – but don’t forget to pass the message on.
Health and Safety at Work, Dec 2017
"This book provides the first short, accessible and easy-to-read guide to the principles and practise of Behavioural safety...Marsh writes in a very chatty and engaging style (and) the book is written from the perspective of someone who has implemented numerous behavioural programmes across a range of industries... the reader is presented with valuable proven insights...This is essential reading for anyone embarking on, or relaunching, a behavioural safety programme..."
IOSH Magazine, September 2017
