Gabrielle Connolly, CSP

How to improve behavior-based safety through AI

November 1, 2024
Table of contents

Behavior-based safety (BBS) systems offer valuable insights into operational safety, and have proven to be effective. However, these systems often encounter challenges in gathering comprehensive data, which can limit their ability to provide a complete picture of workplace safety. These systems are primarily dependent on manual observations, which are subject to observer biases and individual interpretations of safe work practices.

An article by EHS Today shows this by detailing how traditional workplace safety programs, even with extensive knowledge and resources, often fail to achieve continuous improvement and can be ineffective in preventing safety incidents.

As a Certified Safety Professional at Intenseye, I have worked directly with hundreds of safety professionals in various industries. This unique engagement has given me perspective on the challenges and needs of modern safety systems, specifically the importance of adopting innovative solutions to enhance traditional methods.

The challenges of traditional behavior based safety programs

While implementing a BBS program has been foundational in workplace safety management systems, it has inherent limitations that reduce its overall effectiveness:

• Personal bias: The subjective nature of human observations means that data collected often reflects personal experiences and understanding rather than providing objective insights.

• Limited peer-to-peer contribution: Associates may hesitate to bring attention to a colleague or workstation. Even when submissions are left anonymous, the peer-to-peer contributions result in mostly “safe” behaviors observed, providing limited data for meaningful safety improvements.

• Timing of activities: There is often a rush to complete BBS activities at the end of reporting periods to meet targets. This can lead to large windows of time where we are collecting little to no data on the safety performance of the workplace.

• Time-consuming: The manual process of analyzing data for trend identification is labor-intensive and slow, severely limiting the ability to identify and mitigate safety risks proactively. Additionally, the limited amount of data collected can make it hard to identify top areas needing improvement.

These challenges highlight the need for a shift towards more efficient, unbiased approaches in behavior-based safety programs to achieve safer working environments.

Intenseye’s AI-driven approach to BBS programs

Intenseye can transform your behavior-based safety program with artificial intelligence, shifting from manual, reactive processes to proactive, data-driven ones. Our AI-powered EHS management software proactively identifies unsafe behaviors and conditions without bias and provides objective data that leads to actionable insights. This shift allows your teams to quantify risk levels and better prioritize workplace safety improvements.

• Immediate detection and response: Intenseye’s technology instantly identifies unsafe behaviors and conditions, enabling rapid response without the delays of traditional incident reporting.

• Data-driven leadership actions: Equipped with precise, real-time data, safety leaders can take informed actions based on actual safety risks, promoting a proactive approach to workplace safety management.

• Ongoing evaluation of safety measures: Our system continuously assesses the effectiveness of implemented safety measures, ensuring that improvements are effective and results are sustained.

• Focused safety conversations: By pinpointing specific risk areas, our system facilitates targeted discussions and behavior based safety training. This allows EHS teams to spend their time on the floor driving improvements instead of looking for issues.

Through these advancements, Intenseye empowers organizations to not just respond to, but anticipate and mitigate safety issues, fostering a workplace safety culture that prioritizes continuous enhancement and EHS compliance.

Intenseye's real-world impact in BBS management

The transformation in BBS management through Intenseye's AI-driven approach is evident across the industries we serve. To put numbers to the effects, one of our customers used Intenseye’s AI technology to identify 597 unsafe behaviors in the same period during which only 3 were reported manually.

This significant discrepancy not only showcases our system's enhanced detection capabilities but also its crucial role in providing holistic safety data, and correctly prioritizing the most pressing issues.

Additionally, another customer of ours, a major food processing company shared their experience:

"Intenseye's approach really resonates with us, especially how it shifts our focus from merely hitting targets at the end of the month to proactively detecting unsafe behaviors. This allows us to truly prioritize safety over statistics."

This feedback underscores the shift from traditional, compliance-driven safety metrics to a proactive, preventive safety culture that enhances safety outcomes.

Step into the future of safety with Intenseye

Embrace a future where workplace safety is proactive, data-driven, and efficient. Our innovative EHS technology meets the dynamic demands of modern industries and drives a significant shift towards proactive workplace safety management. By choosing Intenseye, organizations can enhance their safety management systems, prioritize the areas of most risk, and build a sustainable workplace safety culture.

Join us in leading the change. Contact us today to discover how our solutions can transform your behavioral safety practices, or schedule a demo to see Intenseye in action.