 Using Psychology to Enhance Safety Performance
The focus of The Psychology of Safety Handbook is improving safety performance through psychology and methods of applied behavior analysis. Dr. Geller published the Psychology of Safety in 1996, and this Handbook is an extensive revision of that book. The Handbook presents new approaches to improving safety performance based on research in applied behavior analysis. These approaches can enhance traditional approaches to workplace safety, or even replace many of the safety program traditions that are commonly ineffective. Dr. Geller presents academic information in an entertaining and easy-to-read manner. He reviews ten paradigm shifts needed in safety including shifting from government regulation to corporate responsibility, from failure-oriented to achievement oriented mindsets, and from top-down control to bottom-up involvement. The book covers basic principles of behavioral safety, principles based on years of research as well as "real world" experience. Relevant examples, illustrations, and brief case studies are provided for the reader. Some of the principles include the primacy of behavior, reducing at-risk behaviors, and methods of learning and conditioning. The author goes into great detail explaining human barriers to safety and effective intervention methods. ABC Analysis is presented as a tool to analyze safety related behaviors, and various intervention methods are described in detail. There are great chapters on intervening as a behavior-change agent (Safety coaching) and intervening with supportive conversation. There is also a great section about "Actively Caring," which is a concept coined by the author and refers to planned and purposeful behavior directed at improving safety performance. When people actively care for safety, they go beyond the call of duty on behalf of their safety and others. Dr. Geller describes the importance of this behavior, and includes a chapter on how to increase actively caring behavior. Anyone concerned with safety also wants to maintain and sustain any gains they make. The final chapters of the book detail how to promote high-performance teamwork for safety, how to evaluate for continuous improvement, and how to obtain and maintain involvement in safety. The final chapter of the book reviews 50 principles to follow in making a difference in safety. In my opinion, Dr. Geller is the world's foremost authority on the psychology of safety. The Psychology of Safety Handbook is a comprehensive, practical, and state-of-the-art study of a complex subject. The methods and approaches described in the book do work when clearly understood and properly applied. This book is useful for students, safety professionals, managers, supervisors, safety committee members, employees and union workers, and is highly recommended for anyone who sincerely desires to make a difference in health and safety.
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