At LCS Project Solutions, we are passionate about helping organisations create safer, more sustainable workplaces. Leading our recent Behavioural Based Safety (BBS) Awareness Workshop reminded me just how complex the safety landscape really is. The session wasn’t about building a full BBS programme but about raising awareness that such approaches exist and can bring real benefits—reducing accidents, improving morale, and supporting both business and societal wellbeing.
But is focusing on BBS alone enough? If we concentrate too much on individual behaviour, do we risk missing the bigger picture? What about the wider influences—design, planning, equipment, culture—that shape safety outcomes every day? If we only ask, “What did the worker do?” are we ignoring “Why did they do it?” and “What made that choice seem reasonable at the time?”
Reflecting on my own journey, I started in construction at 15, just as the Health & Safety at Work Act was gaining traction. Like many, I learned some lessons the hard way—losing the tip of a finger, breaking bones, suffering lacerations. Did I ever expect to get hurt? Of course not. Did I ever set out to behave unsafely? Never. So why did it happen? And how many others have similar stories?
We are told to behave safely so we go home to our loved ones, but is an accident ever just a single event? Or is it a chain of factors—design flaws, cold weather, tight deadlines, equipment choices, commercial pressures—sometimes set in motion weeks, months or years earlier? Can we truly expect the frontline worker to be the last and only line of defence?
Today’s workshop sparked some honest conversations. Some participants admitted that some of the trades they manage are reluctant to raise safety concerns to client main contractors, worried it might cost them work. Why does this contradiction exist, especially when so many contractors promote “don’t walk by” policies? When the pressure is on, does “anything go” become the reality, even for reputable firms?
So, what’s the answer? Should we keep pushing BBS, or should we broaden our focus? What could happen if clients allowed more time and resources, designers prioritised safety, and planners created safer workplaces? Would workers then be more likely to behave safely? And how do we make it safe for people to speak up?
I don’t have all the answers, but here are some questions I keep coming back to:
- Are we setting clear, minimum standards?
- Are we being consistent and visible as leaders?
- Do we really listen and engage with our teams?
- Are we willing to say no when it matters?
Behavioural safety is everyone’s responsibility, not just the frontline workers. As we collectively strive for continuous improvement, I encourage you to ask: What will you do differently tomorrow to make your workplace safer?
In the words of Jung, “We are not what happens to us, we choose what we become.” Let’s unite and help each other to make better choices!
