Behaviour-based safety — what works, what does not

Behaviour-based safety (BBS) is the practice of observing and coaching at-risk behaviours in the field, using peers — not managers — as observers. It is not punitive, it is not a way to shift blame onto workers, and it is not a substitute for engineering controls.

• Quotas — "every supervisor must log 5 observations a week" produces fake data and resentment.
• Leaderboards — publishing who observed whom turns a coaching tool into a surveillance tool.
• Observation-only — if observations do not feed engineering / training / procedure changes, they become busywork.

1. Train peer observers, not supervisors, in the behaviours you care about.
2. Log observations anonymously. Identity is irrelevant; the behaviour pattern is not.
3. Feed trends into the monthly safety meeting — "we saw X at-risk PPE events this month" drives the conversation.
4. Close the loop — at-risk trends should trigger training refreshes, equipment changes, or procedure updates.