Drivers of safe working behaviour

As an accredited trainer for the delivery of IOSH Managing Safety®, I recognise the value of educating on hazards, potential consequences and proportionate controls in driving safe working behaviour. Conversely, as an auditor, I have seen unsafe work behaviour performed by those who have received suitable training.

Often underlying such observations is a lack of the correct equipment for the task. However, even when both suitable training is provided along with the required equipment, this does not appear to guarantee the performance of safe work behaviour.

My desire to identify the “missing ingredient” in driving safe working behaviour led me to complete a Master's in the Psychology of Behaviour Change at Derby University. My studies introduced me to a model favoured by behaviour change scientists that can be applied to understanding and attempting to positively impact the performance of almost all behaviours.

Capability, opportunity, motivation

The COM-B model states that behaviour is the result of an interacting system of capability, opportunity and motivation. Put simply, in order for a desired behaviour to be performed, an individual must have the required skills, necessary resources and sufficient drive.

Capability drivers are both physical and psychological, similarly opportunity drivers are both physical and social. Motivation drivers can be either reflective/conscious or automatic. 

According to the model, to attempt to change any behaviour you must first obtain an understanding of the drivers of the behaviour. Once the drivers having the greatest effect on the behaviour are identified then interventions to facilitate behaviour change can be developed and applied.

Simple yet effective

Applying the COM-B model to our daily lives neatly demonstrates the simplicity yet effectiveness of the model. For example, I may want to eat more healthily, however lack the skills to cook nutritious meals. Therefore, an intervention targeting the capability dimension such as providing cookery classes would be most effective.

Similarly, I may want to get fitter, however, lack the finances to pay for gym membership. In this scenario, an intervention targeting the opportunity dimension such as providing a period of free gym membership would be most effective.

Positive change

The COM-B model has been successfully applied to positively change behaviour in many fields such as environmentalism, construction and health. In an extension of these applications, I applied the model to contractors working in the events industry in an attempt to identify whether capability, opportunity or motivation had the greatest effect on safe work behaviour.

Opportunity was the strongest driver with time, access, materials and plans identified as the key resources required to facilitate safe behaviour. The motivational driver of people around working safely (eg a group norm) was also in the top five drivers promoting safe work behaviour.

Consequently, interventions that target opportunity such as restructuring the environment were recommended for promoting the safe behaviour by contractors working in the events industry.

More broadly, my study demonstrates the role of psychological theory and academic research in further advancing the occupational safety and health (OSH) profession and exploring innovative ways to secure a healthier and safer workplace for all.

President's focus

Our new President, Kelly Nicoll, will also be speaking at the Anticipate London Expo. Fatal and significant incidents is one of the key areas she wants to highlight during her presidential year.

Kelly said: "Working at height is one of the biggest causes of death and significant injury across the world.

"Some of the worst incidents I have ever dealt with during my career have involved falls from heights, and the impact of those incidents has followed me ever since.

"We all know and appreciate the dangers and risk of working at height, but how do we change the conversation to ensure that those working at height don't get complacent? How do we as OSH professionals change the conversation to try and help everyone go home at the end of every day?

"Something needs to change in the way we deal with working at height, because the numbers reflect that what we're doing now has taken us so far, and we need to do something differently to bring those numbers down further. Because each of those numbers represents a family devastated, colleagues and friends traumatised by loss."