Improving safety by the modification of behaviour

Safety improvement in the construction industry will only be achieved if all concerned in the operation of construction sites change their behaviour. This article describes the development and effects of behaviourally- based management techniques in improving site safety. Goal-setting and feedback methods were developed and tested on six construction sites in the Northwest of England. A longitudinal research design was adopted, in which measures of safety performance were taken before, during and after the application of these methods. The measures included four categories of measurement: access to heights; site housekeeping (tidiness); scaffolding; and use of personal protective equipment. Three of these categories were used for experiments with a variety of goal-setting and feedback interventions, while the fourth was used as a control. The results show that: safety behaviour can be objectively and reliably measured; goal-setting and feedback can produce large improvements in safety performance; commitment of site management appears to enhance their effectiveness. The work was financed by the Health and Safety Executive, and a further contract to develop the techniques into a basic part of safety management for several large construction companies has begun.