Photo of the day: Outline Safety observations

One of the most debated topics in the safety industry is the effectiveness of behavior-based safety (BBS) programs. The idea behind BBS programs is to improve workplace safety by correcting employee behavior through job safety observations. However, many skeptics claim these safety observations only play the blame game and don’t actually improve employee behavior.

While there are many pros and cons of behavior-based safety programs, oftentimes these programs fail because of poor implementation. This article will provide guidance on how to properly use safety observations that result in improvement.

In the picture below try to find out all safety observations with a discussion about corrective Actions

**Find out all Safety Observation on the Photo**

What are Safety Observations?

Safety observations are counts of the number of safe and unsafe actions or conditions in a work area for a given time.

For example, say you’re observing employees working at heights. You notice three employees forgot to test-check their safety harness before engaging in work. This would count as three unsafe actions. Alternatively, if you notice an employee has kept the walking area clear of debris, this would count as a safe condition

Observations are often recorded by managers using checklists that have separate sections for each safety topic, such as different types of personal protective equipment. The goal is to identify what employees are doing correct in addition to any risky behavior, and use that data to apply corrections and improve safety.

Often times, this is the first pitfall of behavior-based safety programs, as EHS managers tend to focus on the negative. In order to create a safe work environment, you need to praise and reinforce safe behaviors as well as correct unsafe ones. When you only look at what workers are doing wrong, this can create a dissatisfied attitude toward work. Such negative feelings have been found to increase the risk of workplace injuries.

How to Encourage Safety Observations at Work

Proper employee observations are the backbone of a successful BBS program. It is critical they are completed correctly and are a welcome part of the workplace.

You want to make sure your safety observations are done frequently. This will help employees accept them a regular occurrence as well as ensure you have enough data to make informed decisions.

Frequent observations are also a good way to communicate to employees they will not be punished for at behaviors assessed to be high risk. While you want to eliminate these behaviors, punishing employees for their mistakes only encourages them to keep those behaviors hidden, rather than correct them.

Instead, you want to facilitate employee participation in reporting safety observations, both good and bad. Encouraging employee observations not only grows safety cultures in the workplace but also helps ensure the success of your BBS program.

However, the best way to encourage employees to report safety observations is to make it easy for them to do so. That’s why it’s recommended to invest in a behavior based safety software system to simplify the safety observation process.

The software ensures safety reports are filled out consistently, and capturing the required data while minimizing room for user error. Software that comes with a mobile app will give employees the option to perform observations at work with their mobile devices. Such EHS mobile apps will be able to work offline, without an internet connection, in case employees are out in the field. More importantly, using software to complete an observation report will be quicker than pen and paper, meaning they will be less intrusive during the workday.

How to Make Effective Safety Observation Reports

While encouraging employees to conduct observations is a key factor to a successful behavior based safety program, it is not the only one.

Many behavior based safety programs fails due to difficulty analyzing the data collected. This can either be caused by insufficient behavior based safety reporting capabilities, or dirty data.

Dirty data arises when your observation reports are too complicated or unorganized. This is why effective safety observations are organized in a standard checklist format. The checklist ensures you’re recording consistently and focusing on identified topics. If you’re unsure where to start when creating a safety observation checklist, you can download our free template below:

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3 thoughts on “Photo of the day: Outline Safety observations”

ismail Mohamed says:

26/10/2020 at 10:57 pm

blind spot at point 15 , shall have flag man
Khaled Ismail says:

26/10/2020 at 4:36 pm

Unsafe acts and conditoins
Kamal Samy Hussein says:

26/10/2020 at 4:35 pm

Below some comments on the observations highlighted by numbers:
No.1: unauthorized cutting activity without considering live plant Safety precautions
No.2: presence of cracks on pressure vessel body
No.3: platform has opening without precautions nor cautions to suspend using until maintenance required is maintained
No.5: vehicle pass stop sign and enter unpermitted area