ILO Home
Go to the home page
Site map | Contact us Français | Español

CISDOC database

Document ID (ISN)107157
CIS number 07-1237
ISSN - Serial title 0925-7535 - Safety Science
Year 2006
Convention or series no.
Author(s) Hopkins A.
Title What are we to make of safe behaviour programs?
Bibliographic information Aug. 2006, Vol.44, No.7, p.583-597. Illus. 32 ref.
Abstract This article provides a critical look at the assumptions that underlie safe behaviour programmes and identifies some of their limitations. They often run the risk of assuming that unsafe behaviour is the only cause of accidents worth focusing on. It is argued that unsafe behaviour is often merely the last link in a causal chain and not necessarily the most effective link to focus on for the purposes of prevention. One major drawback of these programmes is that they miss critically important unsafe behaviour, such as attempts by workers to re-start processes that have been temporarily interrupted. Conventional safe behaviour programs aimed at front line workers are also of no use in preventing accidents in which the behaviour of front line workers is not involved. It is concluded that, given that it is the behaviour of management that is most critical in creating a culture of safety in any organization, behavioural safety observations are likely to have their greatest impact if directed upwards, at managers.
Descriptors (primary) human behaviour; safety programmes; plant safety organization
Descriptors (secondary) safety consciousness; analysis of accident causes; role of management; programme evaluation; human factors
Document type D - Periodical articles
Country / State or ProvinceAustralia
Subject(s) Psychology and sociology
Broad subject area(s) Stress, psychosocial factors
Browse category(ies) Safety programmes
Psychological factors