Implications of Behavioural Safety Implementation in Indian Organizations

By : Harbans Lal Kaila

Page No: 391-406

Abstract
Objectives: Behavioural safety approach simplifies and creates a viewpoint that everyone shall lead safe behaviour and speak up to alert for any unsafe behaviour at site in order to save both life and business in support of no-harm policy. Risk observation and spot correction by everyone at work-site is fundamental to the success of behavioural safety approach in saving human life as well as business in the process of organizational accident prevention. This research paper attempts to identify and review how organizations are managing the at-risk behaviours at work sites. Setting: 30 multinational companies from 24 geographically distinct diverse locations in India. Research design: longitudinal survey. Participants: nearly 45000 study participants were trained as mentors/observers over a period of 17 years between 2000-2017 that included heads of departments, managers, contractors, safety officers, and contractors’ workmen in India. Interventions: The intervention programme included the concept and process of BBS, plant visits for observation and correction of at-risk behaviours, developing road map for implementation of BBS, developing training module for imparting training to all employees, formation and functions of BBS steering team. Primary and secondary outcome measures: Both qualitative and quantitative data were gathered from participating companies in India. Results: multinational organizations all over India revealed the following behavioural trends that on an average, 70% safe behaviours, 30% unsafe behaviours, 67% corrections of unsafe behaviour, and interestingly safe behaviours went up to 94%, which means there is a 24% increase in safe behaviour after corrections by allcategory observers. Conclusions: The unsafe/at-risk behaviours resulting into accidents are rooted in organizational culture. Hence in order to achieve total safety culture, the major concern of BBS is shifting from reactive safety culture to interdependent safety culture for saving human life and business from accidents.Nevertheless for most of the safety professionals in Indian organizations, top management leadership involvement is a big issue. Behavioural safety is human safety as well as business safety.

Authors :
Harbans Lal Kaila : Retired Prof. of Psychology, SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai