Behavioral safety, sometimes referred to as behavior-based safety, is simply the use of behavioral psychology to promote safety. Behavioral safety within an organization typically involves 1) creating a systematic, ongoing process that defines a finite set of behaviors that reduce the risk of work-related injury, 2) collecting data on the frequency of critical safety practices, and then 3) ensuring that feedback and reinforcement encourage and support those critical safety practices.
In a typical behavioral process, employees conduct observations and provide feedback to associates within their work areas. These observations provide data that is used for problem recognition, problem-solving, and continuous improvement.
