Safety-first culture: Encouraging behavioural safety in the workplace

Compliance based safety is a priority for FMs, but behavioural safety can also be used to help reduce workplace incidents and create a safer working environment. How can facilities managers with health and safety responsibilities encourage employees to take personal responsibility for workplace safety, and promote a safety-first culture?

THE HEALTH & SAFETY CONSULTANT’S VIEW
PHIL PINNINGTON,
HEAD OF AUDIT AND CONSULTANCY, BRITISH SAFETY COUNCIL

Behavioural safety focuses on employees’ own actions and attitudes to reducing risks and preventing accidents in the workplace. By understanding, measuring, and modifying behaviour, organisations can create and foster a safety culture that actively involves all employees.

At British Safety Council we know that good work is good for people. When done right, work offers a sense of purpose, supports employees through life’s challenges and contributes to increased productivity and profitability. Viewed holistically, good work can have real long-term benefits for individuals, which in turn, drives the prosperous economies of the future.

To make work safe, meaningful and ‘good’, employers can take a number of actions.

Start with providing the correct workplace and equipment. Employers who give their staff the right environment to work in, and the right tools to use, are modelling the standards they expect.

Be open to, and encourage, observation and feedback. Regular, structured observations of work practices help identify safe and unsafe behaviours, and providing constructive feedback in real time reinforces positive actions and helps correct risky behaviours before they lead to an incident.

Encourage employee engagement and ownership. When employees are involved in identifying hazards and suggesting improvements, they become more committed to maintaining a safe work environment. Workers who understand safety protocols and see the positive impact of their actions are more likely to take responsibility for their own safety and that of their colleagues.

To help provide training and opportunity for continuous improvement – ensure there is a learning culture, with regular discussions, debriefs, and safety meetings to help reinforce lessons learned from previous incidents.

You may need to improve your organisation’s safety culture. Recognising and rewarding safe behaviours encourages repetition, which can gradually shift the overall safety culture. Collecting data on behavioural observations helps management identify trends, address recurring issues, and tailor interventions to specific risks.

Don’t be afraid of non-traditional thinking. Incorporating elements of nature, greenery and natural lighting into the workplace has been shown to have a positive impact on employee mental and physical wellbeing, creativity and productivity.

Including workers at every step of the design and development of a workplace health, safety and wellbeing strategy increases the likelihood that employees will benefit from interventions.

By including worker voices, and understanding the challenges faced by individuals and groups, employers can provide workers with the support they need, when they need it, in a format that suits their circumstances (considering online, hybrid, in-person and blended interventions).

Your priorities should reflect those of your organisation as one-size does not fit all when it comes to these issues. Focus on listening and engaging with your staff and doing what’s right for them and your organisation.

Through systematic observation, active employee engagement, comprehensive training, and positive reinforcement, organisations can significantly reduce workplace incidents. Embracing behavioural safety is not merely about compliance—it is a strategic investment in creating a safer, more resilient work environment where every employee is empowered to contribute to a culture of safety.

By addressing risks associated with the physical, mental, emotional or even social aspects of your people, you will also be able to tackle and prioritise broader issues and make your organisation more sustainable, inclusive and a better place to work. 

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