This document discusses motivating safety behavior in the workplace. It covers theories of motivation such as reinforcement theory, goal setting theory, and self-determination theory. It also discusses the importance of safety climate and safety leadership in providing opportunities for safe behavior.
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0 ratings0% found this document useful (0 votes)
61 views42 pages
C10 Kelloway MOHS8e Final
This document discusses motivating safety behavior in the workplace. It covers theories of motivation such as reinforcement theory, goal setting theory, and self-determination theory. It also discusses the importance of safety climate and safety leadership in providing opportunities for safe behavior.
Learning Objectives • After reading this chapter, you should be able to: – Discuss the importance of safety behaviour in the workplace and identify the categories of safety behaviour – Explain the importance of individual motivation in safety behaviour – Describe behaviour modification approaches to motivating safety – Recognize how goal setting and feedback influence safety behaviour
Learning Objectives • After reading this chapter, you should be able to: – Understand the facets of self-determination theory of motivation and how they relate to safety motivation – Evaluate the role of organizational support for safety in contributing to safety behaviour – Discuss the role of the safety climate in the performance of safety behaviours
Learning Objectives (cont’d) • After reading this chapter, you should be able to: – Understand the role that safety leadership plays in creating a safe work environment – Describe OH&S management systems and appreciate how they help organizations promote workplace safety
Opening Vignette: Borger Group: Safety Comes First • Borger Group is a leader in the construction industry. • Borger’s safety values encompass the whole-person view: physical, social, and emotional safety is important. • Safety is an integral part of the company’s success thanks to diverse and innovative safety programming which includes: – The Borger app – Performance-based bonus system—safety is rewarded above other aspects of performance
Safety Behaviour • Safety behaviours – Behaviours leading to safe performance of a particular job • Examples include: – Proper use of hazard control systems – Safe work habits – Increased awareness and recognition of workplace hazards – Acceptance and use of personal protective equipment
Safety Behaviour (cont’d-b) • All three types of interventions can be successful • Engineering controls are preferred because they change the environment, but engineering controls are not always possible • It is important to understand safety behaviour in workplaces
Safety Behaviour (cont’d-d) • Safety behaviour can be distinguished as: – Safety compliance • The extent to which employees follow safety rules and procedures – Safety participation • The extent to which employees go beyond compliance and engage proactively and voluntarily to actively improve safety
Safety Behaviour (cont’d-f) • Safety Performance = Ability × Motivation × Opportunity • Safety can be enhanced by increasing employees’ abilities, motivation, and opportunities to work safely • All three model components must be implemented – E.g., training (i.e., increasing ability) is insufficient to change safety behaviours over long term • Chapter 9 emphasized ability; this chapter emphasizes motivation and opportunity
Motivating Safety Behaviour • Safety motivation: – An individual’s willingness to exert effort to enact safety behaviour and the valence associated with those behaviours – Initiates, directs, and sustains safety behaviour
Motivating Safety Behaviour (cont’d) • Three theories of motivation as they apply to safety behaviour: – Reinforcement theory (or behaviour modification) – Goal-setting theory – Self-determination theory
OH&S Today 10.1 A Risky Side of Behaviour-based Safety Programs • Behaviour-based safety programs appear to be successful but some stakeholders are wary of the approach. • Safety incentives can be intimidating for employees – Some workers feel pressure to not report an injury to avoid costing workers a reward, others fear discipline if they are injured • In some cases actions that get rewarded are the avoidance of negatives outside the worker’s control (e.g., reduction in lost-time injuries) rather than achievement of positives under individual’s control (e.g., wearing PPE)
Motivating Safety Behaviour (cont’d-c) • Reinforcement theory – Power of external rewards and punishment – Likelihood of an act being performed again is determined by its current consequences: • Increase when current performance of that behaviour is followed by reinforcement (reward) • Decrease when current performance of that behaviour is followed by punishment
Motivating Safety Behaviour (cont’d-e) • Goal Setting – Behaviour is motivated by internal intentions – Goals serve as antecedents to behaviour in four ways: • Direct attention and action to the desired behaviour • Mobilize effort toward actions to achieve the goal • Increase persistence • Motivate search for effective strategies to help obtain them
Motivating Safety Behaviour (cont’d-f) • Goal Setting – Five factors for effective goal setting: • Goals must be difficult and challenging • Goals must be achievable • Goals must be specific • Individuals must be committed to the goals • Feedback on goal progress
Motivating Safety Behaviour (cont’d-g) • Self-Determination Theory – People are motivated by a variety of things – Different categories of motivation reflecting people’s varied reasons for acting – Distinguishes amotivation from motivation
Motivating Safety Behaviour (cont’d-i) • Autonomous motivation – Self-directed motivation reflecting an individual’s free will • Controlled motivation – Motivation based in response to pressure
Increasing Opportunity for Safety Behaviour • Opportunity – Resources and organizational support for safety behaviour must be in place in conjunction with ability and motivation • Management must demonstrate and communicate commitment to health and safety – Safety climate – Safety leadership
Increasing Opportunity for Safety Behaviour • Safety Climate: – Shared perceptions among employees and organizational stakeholders of the importance of workplace safety • Possible ways to promote a positive safety climate – Provide safety training – Enact safety policies – Include safety information along with production goals
Increasing Opportunity for Safety Behaviour • Safety Leadership – Organizational leadership that is actively focused on and promotes OH&S • Active safety leadership is associated with better safety records and positive safety outcomes
Organizational Health and Safety Management Systems • Occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) – Reflects an interactive collection of strategic organizational approaches and programs focused on identifying, achieving, and maintaining desires occupational health and safety targets
Organizational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) (cont’d-b) • Effective OH&S policies have a core role in OHSMS • OH&S policy should: – Be written and signed by CEO or president of organization – Be publicized and made available to all employees – Outline purpose of program and define involvement and responsibilities of all employees – Be developed in consultation with employee groups
Organizational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) (cont’d-c) • Standards such as CSA-Z1000-14 guide organizations toward effective OHSMS • In Canada, OHSMS are mandatory in some industries, voluntary in others • Compliance with an OHSMS standard can help establish due diligence
OH&S Notebook 10.3 Health and Safety Policy Checklist • OH&S policy checklist must be comprehensive and effective. • Examples of questions that should be asked when evaluating a OH&S policy: – Is a clear commitment to health and safety evident in the policy statement? – Is the senior officer responsible for implementing and reviewing the policy identified? – Is the policy signed by the president or CEO? • For a complete list of questions refer to OH&S Notebook 10.3
Video Links • Small Business Talking Safety (WorkSafeBC) – Small business leaders and employers from across British Columbia discuss OH&S as a core business value (6min, 42sec) • Rod Stickman Safety videos (Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia) – Designed to motivate young employees to work safely (6 clips, each ~2min)