Citation

Ray PS, Purswell JL, Bowen D. Int. J. Ind. Ergonomics 1993; 12(3): 193-198.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The traditional approach to safety in the workplace has been based on Heinrich's analysis of insurance data which he interpreted to conclude that most accidents are caused by "unsafe acts". To reduce the number of 'unsafe acts", safety training, employee selection and supervision were applied as remedial steps. However, after many years of applying this approach, as well as incorporating workplace inspection through the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHAct), no substantial improvements have occurred in workplace safety. Thus the classical approaches to workplace safety have plateaued. Several field experiments have found that a behavioral modification approach to safety is an effective means to move from the existing plateau. The essential ingredient in the improved approach is motivation. An experiment conducted in a large industrial setting demonstrated the effectiveness of a well-designed behavioral safety program. A follow-up study at the same facility after two years indicated that the program did not produce a lasting effect. However, a few recent studies with a focus on the outcome of behavior rather than on the behavior itself have shown a more lasting effect on the safety behavior of workers.