To change behaviour, you have to change the organisation
Organisational Behaviour Modification (OBM) could change individual, group and organisational behaviour. Edmond Furter interviews Prof Philip Frankel, author of a new book on mining OBM.
"OBM dates back to the earliest ruminations of modern psychology", explains, Prof Frankel. "It was then redefined in the 1970s, further developed at the beginning of the millennium, and now forms a powerful part of the armoury that could be applied to solve behavioural problems in many different settings." In South Africa, one or two mining safety consulting companies, and a handful of mining employers, have examined and developed OBM application models to mining safety, now that Behaviour Based Safety (BBS) has been judged to have run out of additional safety performance value.
MINING OBM BOOK
The use of OBM in South African mining is explored in Prof Frankel's a new book, 'Terra Firmer: Behaviour Modification and Safety in South African Mining Organisations', published in January 2011.
He had already published 'Falling Ground: Human Approaches to Mine Safety in South Africa', in 2010. The book analyses mining safety challenges. "Terra Firmer is a logical follow-up, since it deals with ways to manage mine safety problems, as opposed to exploring the problems." A sneak preview of some chapters reveal a set of guides to mine managements and mining stakeholders, in accelerating and sustaining safety behaviour, in terms very different to 'classic' BBS texts.
BEYOND ENGINEERING AND SYSTEMS
"OBM shares with BBS a view that mining safety could not be engineered, beyond a certain point. South African mining is now approaching that point", Prof Frankel explains.
"Any initiative to enhance safety performance, requires customisation, and systematic organisational research into the maturity of a mine, to begin with.
"This research approach stands in direct contrast to BBS, whose retrospectively revealed limited value in addressing mining safety problems, stemmed from a generic 'one size fits all' approach, largely ignorant of massive difference between SA mining society and developed mining economies."
No room for BBS
Prof Frankel's emphasis on organisational maturity, raises the possibility that many SA mines may be institutionally under developed, and would therefore stand to gain little from BBS interventions.
Paradoxically, some of the few organisations with mature safety cultures, believe that they have outgrown BBS. Either way, large and progressive employers are taking note of OBM.
Treat four barriers
"OBM is an integrated and continuous process that organically treats four key barriers to improving mining safety performance." These barriers are;
* equivocal leadership
* emphasis on technical risk management excluding human factors
* fractured communication systems
* aggressive human relations and culture, antithetical to safety culture.
"The new approach says that we could not manage our massive level of fatalities and disabling injuries, now at about 300 per month, by patching up plant and systems.
"'Spray and pray' interventions and occasional safety seminars would not work. We need an ongoing and closed out process of organisational learning, to break workplace behavioural habits of non compliance, high risk acceptance."
Culture versus human impulse
Analysing the new approach, Frankel explains: "An OBM process begins by developing affirmative leadership to 'walk the talk' for safety, demonstrate codes of care for workers, and communicate safety impacts.
"OBM advocates integrated risk management, to address multiple human impulse problems. South African employers now seek anew to establish risk control protocols and effective communication mechanisms."
The new approach examines human inclination to risk taking, due to workplace, organisational and social circumstances. "OBM then improves observation, reporting, recognition, and rewards, to reinforce a new set of behaviour."
Culture sustains behaviour
Learnt behaviour does not necessarily become sustained behaviour. "We should embed new behaviours and cultures in mining organisations, and this requires developing behavioural capacity at all levels, especially among front line supervisors."
OBM also demands "much higher levels of meaningful engagement with all workers." The new approach "provides a raft of engagement, leadership, risk management, HIRA tools, supporting a continuous learning process."
'Terra Firmer' is a hands on guide to mining organisational design, blending behavioural modification theory with the nature and experience of South African mining safety management.
* Prof Philip Frankel is director of the Agency for Social Reconstruction, and contributor to the 2009 presidential mine H&S audit. His books are available worldwide from frankel@iburst.co.za
To change behaviour, you have to change the organisation
Organisational Behaviour Modification (OBM) could change individual, group and organisational behaviour. Edmond Furter interviews Prof Philip Frankel, author of a new book on mining OBM.
"OBM dates back to the earliest ruminations of
modern psychology", explains, Prof Frankel. "It was then redefined in the 1970s, further developed at the beginning of the millennium, and now forms a powerful part of the armoury that could be applied to solve behavioural problems in many different settings." In South Africa, one or two mining safety consulting companies, and a handful of mining employers, have examined and developed OBM application models to mining safety, now that Behaviour Based Safety (BBS) has been judged to have run out of additional safety performance value.
MINING OBM BOOK
The use of OBM in South African mining is explored in Prof Frankel's a new book, 'Terra Firmer: Behaviour Modification and Safety in South African Mining Organisations', published in January 2011.
He had already published 'Falling Ground: Human Approaches to Mine Safety in South Africa', in 2010. The book analyses mining safety challenges. "Terra Firmer is a logical follow-up, since it deals with ways to manage mine safety problems, as opposed to exploring the problems." A sneak preview of some chapters reveal a set of guides to mine managements and mining stakeholders, in accelerating and sustaining safety behaviour, in terms very different to 'classic' BBS texts.
BEYOND ENGINEERING AND SYSTEMS
"OBM shares with BBS a view that mining safety could not be engineered, beyond a certain point. South African mining is now approaching that point", Prof Frankel explains.
"Any initiative to enhance safety performance, requires customisation, and systematic organisational research into the maturity of a mine, to begin with.
"This research approach stands in direct contrast to BBS, whose retrospectively revealed limited value in addressing mining safety problems, stemmed from a generic 'one size fits all' approach, largely ignorant of massive difference between SA mining society and developed mining economies."
No room for BBS
Prof Frankel's emphasis on organisational maturity, raises the possibility that many SA mines may be institutionally under developed, and would therefore stand to gain little from BBS interventions.
Paradoxically, some of the few organisations with mature safety cultures, believe that they have outgrown BBS. Either way, large and progressive employers are taking note of OBM.
Treat four barriers
"OBM is an integrated and continuous process that organically treats four key barriers to improving mining safety performance." These barriers are;
* equivocal leadership
* emphasis on technical risk management excluding human factors
* fractured communication systems
* aggressive human relations and culture, antithetical to safety culture.
"The new approach says that we could not manage our massive level of fatalities and disabling injuries, now at about 300 per month, by patching up plant and systems.
"'Spray and pray' interventions and occasional safety seminars would not work. We need an ongoing and closed out process of organisational learning, to break workplace behavioural habits of non compliance, high risk acceptance."
Culture versus human impulse
Analysing the new approach, Frankel explains: "An OBM process begins by developing affirmative leadership to 'walk the talk' for safety, demonstrate codes of care for workers, and communicate safety impacts.
"OBM advocates integrated risk management, to address multiple human impulse problems. South African employers now seek anew to establish risk control protocols and effective communication mechanisms."
The new approach examines human inclination to risk taking, due to workplace, organisational and social circumstances. "OBM then improves observation, reporting, recognition, and rewards, to reinforce a new set of behaviour."
Culture sustains behaviour
Learnt behaviour does not necessarily become sustained behaviour. "We should embed new behaviours and cultures in mining organisations, and this requires developing behavioural capacity at all levels, especially among front line supervisors."
OBM also demands "much higher levels of meaningful engagement with all workers." The new approach "provides a raft of engagement, leadership, risk management, HIRA tools, supporting a continuous learning process."
'Terra Firmer' is a hands on guide to mining organisational design, blending behavioural modification theory with the nature and experience of South African mining safety management.
* Prof Philip Frankel is director of the Agency for Social Reconstruction, and contributor to the 2009 presidential mine H&S audit. His books are available worldwide from frankel@iburst.co.za
|BACK| COMMENT | OTHER SHEQ