Behaviour based programmes can discourage unsafe action among staff, says NURS
Implementing behaviour-based safety (BBS) programmes within firms will discourage unsafe actions amongst staff and improve safety performance within businesses, says Norwich Union Risk Services (NURS), part of Aviva.
The approach works by focusing on a small percentage of unsafe actions that are responsible for a large part of the organisation’s accidents, said NURS.
According to the Health & Safety Executive, employee behaviour is a contributory factor in approximately 80% of accidents in the workplace.
Helen Toll, health and safety consultant for NURS, said: ‘BBS can lead to a reduction in accident rates, by as much as 85%, if implemented effectively.’
With the introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act 2007, businesses are looking to enhance their health and safety management to avoid the risk of prosecution, said NURS.
According to Toll, one way that businesses can do this is by identifying behaviours that contribute to accidents.
Research has shown that BBS programmes will only be effective in organisations that have reached a degree of safety culture maturity.
