BBS or behaviour based safety is definitely not a concept South African businesses use. Occupational health and safety is already seen as a grudge spend. This principle is widely used and implemented in Europe and the USA. In short, your behaviour determines your safety. Let's test it.

• When you get into your car do you put the safety belt on immediately or do you wait for the car to remind you via an alarm?
• Do you speed in your car?
• Do you drive and text or take calls when driving?

If you answered yes to the first and no to the rest your behaviour will determine your safety. Apart from the other drivers, you have acted safely to that point. You can't answer sometimes. It's yes or no. So let's take this concept to work.

Do you adhere to safety requirements? Do you report near misses? Do you wear the required personal protective equipment (PPE)? These questions should not be asked daily or on every shift. If we have a behaviour based safety culture, the entire business will act safe. This will lead to less near misses and or potential incidents that will bring down the accident ratio. A simple system to implement but resistance to change will make it hard.

Through implementing BBS, organisations can:

• Improve employee health and welfare
• Increase job satisfaction
• Improve employee retention rates
• Lower or eliminate cost of worker's compensation claims
• Reduce costs related to employee medical leave and absenteeism

The following steps are required:

Step 1: Establish a Need for Change
Recognise that a current system that relies on systematic preventative measures and controls, and reactive training and behaviour correction is not successful at increasing long term workplace safety.

Step 2: Create a Plan of Action
Define the elements of a new culture of workplace safety. Establish clear goals, measurement tactics, enforcement procedures, and feedback systems. Build a timeline for organisational change and set benchmarks for short-term wins and long-term milestones. Celebrate positive behaviours and achievements.

Step 3: Plan for Implementation
Introduce workplace safety as the new culture and "lifestyle" of the organisation. The way we do it at ... Administer a brief safety attitude questionnaire to obtain baseline information of employees' existing knowledge, future needs, and preferred training or learning style. Provide general BBS training to all staff with an explanation of the general principles and goals. Encourage employees to consider and share outside-the-box ideas to improve job efficiency, safety and promote routine feedback.

Step 4: Put Energy into Implementation and Sustainability
Launch the new programme with a spirited kick-off event promoting positivity and overall commitment. Regular communication, consistent support, and ongoing feedback at all levels of the organisation are critical for the success of the programme.

Once you have the system in place remember to keep on driving it, otherwise it will become a tick box exercise. Management has to be involved to make this a success. If everybody acts safely we will mitigate our risk.

T: 087 941 7180
bryan@hesscon.co.za
www.hesscon.co.za
Bryan van den Heever - Operations Manager

Hesscon (Pty) Ltd was established in 2008 in Durban with occupational health and safety (OHS) consulting as the core focus of the business.

We have since expanded our portfolio to offer three core services namely, Health and Safety consulting services, the British Safety Council international practitioner training and the various seta accredited training products that relate directly to our consulting services. We have also recently expanded our service level agreements to other training services like, ISO 9001, 14001 and 18001, Soft skills (computer) and wellness training to provide a more holistic training portfolio.

Our Management team has over 25 years' experience in training, the corporate environment and ten years' experience in Occupational Health and Safety consulting and Occupational Safety Implementation