BEHAVIOR BASED SAFETY
AND
THE MANDT SYSTEM®
Bob Bowen, CEO, David Mandt and Associates
Behavior Based Safety is a relatively new approach that utilizes the principles of
Applied Behavior Analysis in establishing and improving job safety programs in
business and manufacturing settings. The Mandt System® is a systematic
training program for human service organizations designed to reduce the risk of
injury to individuals served as well as to the staff of human services
organizations.
The concepts of Behavior Based Safety appear to fit nicely with Evidence Based
Practice. We want to use interventions and techniques that have been
demonstrated to be effective in keeping all people staff, and which facilitate the
treatment, education, therapy, habilitation or rehabilitation, etc. that are central to
the purposes of the organization.
The purpose of this brief paper is to review the principles of Behavior Based
Safety as established in “How to Get More People Involved in Behavior-Based
Safety: Selling an Effective Process.” E. Scott Geller (2003). There are 10
principles outlined in this paper, which I believe are very consistent with the
approach taken by The Mandt System®.
Behavior Based Safety Principles Mandt System® Training
1. Watch Your Language - “Use Mandt System® training stresses using
language people can relate to as non-technical language, avoiding the
human beings who think and feel, and use of labels or diagnoses unless
who like to believe they have dignity, needed to facilitate discussion, and
freedom, and personal control. stresses the phrase “people affected by
disabilities” rather than “people with
Safety professionals commonly use disabilities.” Disabilities affect what
words like ‘accident,’ and people do, not who people are.
‘investigation,’ Who wants to get
involved in an ‘accident investigation’ We also want to process after the use
that seemingly attempts to find out who of restraint and look into situations in
didn’t comply with some safety which injuries occurred so as to
‘regulation’ and therefore contributed to prevent the occurrence in the future,
a ‘loss?’ rather than to assess blame in the
present.
2. Take Advantage of the In Mandt System® training, we stress
Competence Motive– “People want to practicing a skill with a certified trainer
be competent. . . How can competence present at all times to give feedback.
be improved? Does practice make The threshold for certification is 100%
perfect? Of course not, practice competency in both non-physical and
increases fluency, but without physical skills. Because class sizes
appropriate feedback, simply repeating are small there is ample opportunity for
a behavior can not improve it. This is the one-on-one coaching. The Mandt
the perfect lead-in to teaching and System® recommends quarterly review
demonstrating a key process of BBS – of the skills in order to go periodic
observation and feedback. With BBS, performance appraisals and maintain if
competence-improving feedback is not improve the skill level of staff.
delivered in three basic ways: (a) “Evidence Based Practice” is the
through one-one-one coaching method we will be using to compare
conversations, the level of safety of The Mandt
(b) through periodic performance System® to other programs.
appraisals that focus on behavior, and “Transparent Data Sharing” is one of
© through group data graphs that the techniques the Pennsylvania
display a work team’s level of safe vs. Department of Mental Health and
at-risk behavior, sometimes comparing Substance Abuse used in achieving the
one team’s safety performance with dramatic reductions in the use of
that of another group. restraint in psychiatric and substance
abuse settings in Pennsylvania, and we
intend to use a similar strategy.
3 – Make feedback a positive The Mandt System® uses Marc Gold’s
experience approach (Try Another Way” in which
“The context of a feedback we do not use the words “no” or
conversation is crucial. More “wrong” when giving feedback. We tell
specifically, the nature of the people “that was a good answer” or
conversation or group discussion “this step was good, let’s try it again.”
surrounding a feedback session will Most people want to be competent, and
determine whether such a process will internalize the standards we teach.
be appreciated, supported, and When a staff person says “I did it
sustained. Therefore, the first wrong” it means they know how to do it
feedback session really needs to be right! They have internalized the
positive and constructive.” standard and need only further
opportunity to practice with positive
feedback in order to learn the skills.
4 – Distinguish SMART Goals from The Mandt System® is committed to
Purpose – SMART is an acronym that assisting organizations to achieve and
represents the “essential components maintain restraint free environments.
of an effective goal: We offer specific ways to do this
Specific through training in The Mandt
Motivational System®, Mandt for Managers™ and
Attainable Relational Behavior Support™. The
Relevant training is provided in ways that
Trackable motivate people to do more than
Shared (with team members) attend training, we seek to provide
Teach employees (especially principles that can be applied rather
managers) to talk about zero injuries as than techniques that are used. Many
a purpose or vision. The ultimate result organizations throughout the country
of gaining and sustaining maximum have attained restraint free
employee involvement in BBS is an environments because of the
injury free work culture. So our relevance or relationship between not
purpose for getting more people using restraints and improving the
involved in BBS is to reach and quality of life of all people. The data is
maintain zero injuries.” trackable and shared with all
stakeholders.
5 – Elevate Self-Efficacy and For many years, trainers in The Mandt
Response-Efficacy” “Self-efficacy System® have shared their
refers to one’s belief that s/he can experiences in seeing staff improve
handle an assignment. Response their skills and as a result become
efficacy means the person believes an more comfortable and effective in their
assignment is useful in accomplishing work. The Mandt for Managers™
a particular objective or purpose workshop stresses giving staff a clear
(Bandura, 1997) connection, a vision, between their
efforts and the organization as a whole.
6. Sell Outcome-Expectancy with One of the common themes in
Personal Testimonies – “This is the evaluations of Mandt System® training
‘motivational’ component of SMART is the stories trainers tell. We
goals. Specifically, outcome- encourage trainers to tell their
expectancy means the participant successes and the times they made
believes the completion of a given mistakes because Geller is right when
activity or the attainment of a certain he says “personal testimonies provide
goal will result in worthwhile a powerful image.”
consequences. . . . Personal The stories Mandt trainers tell
testimonies provide a powerful image. empower students of the program to
Listeners can relate to an individual’s feel the possibility of success and to
story and put themselves in the same see the connection between training
situation. Two kinds of testimonies can and implementation. Word of mouth,
motivate participate in a BBS process: personal testimonies, is the marketing
(a) a personal account of an injury that program of The Mandt System®. We
could have been prevented by a certain do not do mass mailings, we do not
BBS technique, and (b) an anecdote have brochures, we just have people
about someone who avoided an injury who share their experiences with our
by using the particular BBS technique.” program.
7. Teach Theory and Principles This principle is central to the
Before Procedures – “In fact, by philosophy of The Mandt System®.
summarizing the right theory or The Basic Modules provide the
principles into a mission statement, you theoretical framework upon which the
have a standard for judging the value program is based, and the Intermediate
of your company’s procedures, modules provide the technical tools.
policies, and performance The principles upon which our program
expectations. When companies start is based are quite simple – “Treat
with step-by-step procedures but don’t people with dignity and respect at all
first teach about the principles or times. No matter what people do, treat
rationale behind a particular safety them with dignity and respect. It is our
policy, program or process, the result is response that decides if a situation is
programs referred to as ‘flavor of the escalated or deescalated and a person
month.’ Such programs usually attract humanized or dehumanized. The most
less than desired involvement, and important skill you, the trainer, can give
they don’t last very long.” to staff is the ability to manage their
own behavior, to respond, and not
react.”
8. Use Process Measures of The Mandt System® wants to assist
Safety Performance – “The human service organizations such as
bottom-line measure – total schools, psychiatric centers,
recordable injury rate (TRIR) – community based residential and
provides neither instructive employment services, center based
guidance nor motivation to vocational services, detention centers,
continue a particular safety etc. achieve Restraint Free
process. . . . As per basic Environments. However, not doing a
reinforcement principles of BBS, restraint and calling the police to
this motivates employees to remove a person may be “restraint
cover-up their injuries and stifles free” but it is not, in our opinion,
the very kinds of communication “restraint appropriate.”
needed to prevent injuries.”
Instead, keep score on the various Likewise, we can not punish people
proactive things individuals do for when they use restraint in response to
safety. . . . Track the number of a behavior which is harmful to self or
corrective actions implemented and others.
evaluated, the number of We recommend (in settings serving
environmental and behavioral audits children and adolescents it is required)
conducted, the number of that after every use of restraint or
environmental hazards eliminated, the seclusion that the team process what
number of safety suggestions and happened, and what steps to take next
safety work orders submitted, and so time so restraint may not be needed.
on. Graph and post the percentage of Tracking the number of times a
individuals who participate in various person’s behavior escalated and was
safety-related activities, as well as the not restrained may provide more
percentage of safe work environments relevant data.
and behaviors observed during Evidence Based Practice requires
systematic audits. Now you have an more than simply counting numbers.
accountability system that can facilitate Plans at an organizational and systems
participation.” levels must be implemented to attain
restraint free environments. In addition
to The Mandt System®, we offer Mandt
for Managers™ and Relational
Behavior Support™ to provide some of
the tools to achieve these goals.
9. Look Behind the Numbers – In the Behavior Support module and
“Managers focus on the numbers, but throughout the Building Communication
leaders look beyond the numbers. . . module, The Mandt System® teaches
Leaders believe, for example, it’s that feelings drive behavior more than
important to increase employee’s self- facts. In every communication, we say,
esteem or awareness of individual content and feelings are present, and
importance, feelings of empowerment, when facts and feelings collide,
and a sense of belonging or feelings always win.
interdependency. . . . genuine one-to-
one recognition increases trust and Training in The Mandt System® and
feelings of importance, SMART goal other programs offered by David Mandt
setting builds feelings of and Associates stress building
empowerment, and group celebrations teamwork by celebrating success,
facilitate a sense of belonging. You facilitating a sense of belonging, and
need to perform and support these building healthy relationships. We
sorts of activities without expecting to teach that it is the relationship between
see an immediate change in the and among staff that forms the context
numbers of an accountability system.” in which all services and supports take
place. Looking behind the numbers is
an important skill team leaders need to
develop.
10. Build and Maintain Momentum Since 1975 David Mandt and
“Three factors are crucial [to build and Associates has worked hard to build
maintain momentum for occupational healthy relationships in the workplace.
safety. Healthy relationships are necessary for
achievement to take place initially and
¾ Achievement of the Participants to continue over the long run.
– you’ve got to keep score. You
need a system that can track We emphasize the role of trust in
small wins in safety that can building healthy relationships within the
build momentum This should be culture, and specifically address these
a system that tracks issues in the Mandt for Managers™
accomplishments – what people program. The Mandt System® has
have done for safety, and what been used by some organizations as a
additional achievement potential ‘quick fix’ and those organizations tend
is within their domain of control to use our program for several years
¾ Atmosphere of the Culture – and then try a new program or a new
Questions to ask include ‘flavor of the month’ as Geller
- Is the work culture describes it.
optimistic about achieving
the goals?
- Do the workers trust
management to give
adequate support to a
long-term intervention, or
is this just another ‘quick
fix?’
¾ Attitude of Leaders – the key is Attitude of leaders is critical in building
to find pockets of excellence to teamwork. It is the first item listed in
acknowledge. . . For momentum the factors that lead to teamwork, and
to build and continue, support is emphasized in all our training
means more than providing programs.
necessary resources. It means
looking for success stories to
recognize and celebrate. This
helps to develop feelings of
achievement among those
directly involved (the team) and
an optimistic atmosphere from
others (work culture)
Behavior Based Safety has a great deal of potential as human services organizations and
training programs such as The Mandt System® work towards a true Evidence Based
Practice model. We are pleased to find such a well documented approach available in
business settings, and if you want to read the entire paper by Dr. E. Scott Geller you can
download it at http://www.behavior.org/safety/geller.pdf
