Benefits of Incorporating Recognition and Appreciation

When it comes to recognition and appreciation at work, the results are in! According to a Gallup poll report from workhuman.com, incorporating recognition and appreciation in the workplace increases employee satisfaction and productivity, and it makes them five times less likely to leave. This is good news for safety, too.

​​High turnover has detrimental effects on workplace safety. But there’s another reason to incorporate recognition and appreciation into your workplace safety program, and it’s called BBS or Behaviour-Based Safety.
Start by making it a habit to observe behaviours, and then praise, recognize, appreciate, and celebrate safe actions. 

What is Behaviour-Based Safety?

At its core, BBS is about reinforcing safe behaviours and correcting those determined to be less safe. Behaviour-based safety (BBS) is built on a series of “safe” behaviours that are designed to help employees perform their jobs. The aim is to prevent human error by analyzing employees’ work actions and then determining how to complete them in a manner more conducive to safety, decreased accidents, and less likelihood of injury to self or another

The Benefits of Incorporating Recognition and Appreciation at Work

BBS has many benefits; but there is one widely known risk associated with BBS, which is the creation of a blame culture. However, when done correctly and with the intent of recognizing and appreciating workers for working safely, the risk of creating a blame culture is mitigated. So, how does a behaviour-based safety program that focuses on recognition and appreciation create safer workplaces? I am glad you asked! 
It’s a positive-first approach to safety: BBS depends on the observation of positive safety behaviours. When safe behaviours are observed, the employee is offered positive feedback and reinforcement, motivating them to repeat the behaviour. In safety, there is often so much focus on what workers are doing wrong or what went wrong. As a result, it has become very focused on the negatives. BBS takes that philosophy and turns it on its head. Employees react better to praise and recognition that appreciates safe behaviours.
It creates observable change: When you implement BBS, you’ll see the change because behaviours are observable. And it usually doesn’t take long. Employees tend to respond quickly to positive feedback. 
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It’s a great way to provide feedback to help employees learn and develop: Developing your team is part of the job. BBS provides you with a great opportunity to do that positively. On a broader level, having frequent feedback conversations that include appreciation and recognition helps you make connections, build trust, and create a stronger safety culture. 
Are you ready to incorporate BBS into your safety program, but you’re unsure of where to start? 

Providing Positive Feedback

To incorporate BBS into your workplace safety practice, start by making it a habit to observe behaviours, and then praise, recognize, appreciate, and celebrate safe actions. When you see a safe behaviour, consider the following: 
  • Observable: Has the behaviour been seen or heard? By whom? (Hint: it’s best if you saw it directly, but there may be times you choose to accept a second-hand account)
 
  • Reliable: Did everyone else see it the same way? Did anyone see it differently? Was the behaviour a fluke, or does the employee consistently behave this way?
 
  • Control: Does the employee have control of the behaviour? For example, are they manually operating the machinery safely, or is it an automatic function of the machine that just happens to be functioning safely?
 
  • Using Positive Language: if you determine that the action was observable, reliable, and within the employee’s control, be sure to provide positive recognition about what they did and how they did it. Use only positive language, focusing on what they did – not what they didn’t do. 
 

​Example of Providing Positive Feedback

​“I saw you use the press earlier. I notice you didn’t remove the machine guard and you didn’t forget your eye protection. Nice work.”
 
This example is confusing. It’s praise, but it seems to be listing all the things the employee didn’t do!
 
“I saw you using the press correctly and wearing your PPE earlier. Way to go!”
 
This example highlights the safe behaviour that was well done.
 
Are you ready to incorporate BBS into your safety program, but you’re unsure of where to start? Contact MidSouthWest Training and Consulting today. We offer consulting services, and we can help. 

Recognition and Appreciation can Reduce Workplace Incidents

As organizations start to realize the importance of frequent communication, recognition, and appreciation, they’re starting to reap the benefits of these very efficient strategies. In fact, a recent workhuman.com study shows that companies that incorporate recognition in their safety programs have five times fewer recordable injuries than those that don’t. That’s a huge savings in lost-time hours. Adding recognition and appreciation to your workplace safety program is more than just an injury reduction campaign – it’s an investment in your employees’ health and wellbeing, and their careers at your organization.
 
Read the workhuman.com Recognizing and Rewarding Safe Behaviors Makes Safer Workplaces here
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Trust MidSouthWest Training and Consulting

Need help getting started? MidSouthWest Training and Consulting offers an online Behaviour-Based Safety program. You can trust MidSouthWest Training and Consulting to provide you with cost-effective training solutions tailored to meet your organization’s unique health and safety needs. 
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​To learn more, contact us online or call 289.309.1143. Visit us 24/7 on the web at midsouthwest.ca.

​Last updated April 25, 2024
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