Reinforcing and Evaluating Behavior-Based Safety

Stage Four: Reinforcement

Consequences, both positive and negative, drive behavior. According to Agnew, “positive reinforcement is a desirable consequence that follows a behavior and increases its frequency in the future.” In a workplace context it exists in various forms.

• Self-reinforcement. This is the internal recognition experienced by an individual who is using safe behaviors and making them a habit.


• Natural reinforcement. These are natural occurrences that result from the changed behavior. For example, working with better body mechanics feels better than working in a cramped, awkward position. Or a safe behavior might get the job done faster, another natural reinforcer. In the process used by Aubrey Daniels International (ADI), an Atlanta-based consulting firm, these are known as positive, immediate, certain consequences, or PICs. Sometimes safe behaviors do not have naturally positive results. For example, wearing PPE can be hot and uncomfortable. ADI refers to these as negative, immediate, certain consequences (NICs) and seeks to eliminate them. Providing workers with more comfortable gear is one way to counter the NICs associated with wearing PPE.


• Social or tangible reinforcers. These are used when it isn’t possible to “undo” the negative natural reinforcement. A social reinforcer can be a simple comment like, “We really appreciate what you’re doing to stay safe.” But managers need to be careful, says Agnew, as some people don’t like to be singled out in public, even for praise. Other social reinforcers are gestures like a smile, nod, or pat on the back; handwritten or e-mail notes; and asking for input with a question like, “How would you handle this?”


• Humor. Appropriate humor during the workday is welcomed by most people and conveys a positive message.

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Stage Five: Evaluation

Ultimately, behavior-based safety is a data-driven process, explains Agnew. “We teach employees at the hourly level and above to look at the data and see what they tell you.”

For example, if a group sees variability in its behavior graph, they are encouraged to identify patterns and causes.

Part of the preparation for participating in behavior-based safety is training in how to read graphs, a skill some employees might not otherwise get on the job.

This evaluation process is, of course, essential to the success of a behavior-based safety program. Examining the data often reveals important information that’s hard to see any other way.

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