Behavior-Based Accident Prevention Program (BBAP)

(Prepared by Jeffrey Chung, Ph.D – LBNL EH&S Division)

Introduction:

Managers have always desired to identify analytical processes that would to help them make cost-effective business decisions. This is true not only in the finance/operations area, but also for safety (EH&S) investments too.

The "Return on Health and Safety Investment" (ROHSI) is a software tool developed by Arthur Anderson, LLP and the Organization Resources Counselors (ORC), Inc. It provides a methodology to assist organizations in understanding, measuring, demonstrating and communicating how health and safety (H&S) investments impact H&S and business performance. ROHSI facilitates business decisions through quantitative analysis, financial analysis and risk management. The process helps provide information to facilitate decision making by answering:

• What H&S investments should we consider supporting?
• Which H&S investments create the greatest value/return to the organization and how can this value/return are demonstrated?
• To which H&S projects should we allocate our human resources?
• When should we make this H&S investment?

There was an opportunity to apply this process to evaluate the return on investment from the Behavior-Based Accident Prevention (BBAP) program implemented by Facilities Department. A task force was assembled comprised of Facilities and EH&S personnel to gather the data needed to apply to the ROHSI process.

Applying the ROHSI Process to BBAP:

• Several operational assumptions were established prior to beginning the ROSHI analysis for the period from 1997 to 1999:
• Facilities Department Work Profile and Health and Safety Program did not significantly change with the exception of introducing BBAP.
• The Workers Compensation claims processing at LBNL (mechanics of claims processing) did not significantly change during this period.
• Internal efforts to manage Workers Compensation claims took a more aggressive approach to open/lingering cases.
• State Workers Compensation Benefits and ratings formulas experience minimal adjustments during this period (post major WComp overhaul in the early to mid-1990’s).

• OSHA Injury and Illness Classification and Recordkeeping requirements remained constant.

The cost variables identified and introduced into the ROHSI process included effort and expenses associated with developing and implementing BBAP over a two year window:

• EH&S Division’s personnel time for developing the BBAP program and investigating SAARs
• BBAP software development for tracking and trending metrics
• Retaining a consultant from Behavioral Safety Technology (BST) to certify LBNL’s BBAP program
• Purchase of BBAP videos for training coaches
• Creation of BBAP critical behavior checklists/field booklets
• Sending LBNL employees to BST Users Conference
• Coaches Training
• BBAP Committee Meetings
• Field Observations by Coaches
• BBAP Coaches’ meetings

The total cost/investment into the BBAP program over two years amounted to $230,000.

Results:
The number of injury and illness incidents that occurred at Facilities did trend downward from 31 cases (pre-BBAP) to 23 after one year of BBPA and 22 after two years of BBAP. Costs (legal, WComp, WComp Third Party Administrator, Medical, etc.) incurred per case also trended downward, from $33,000/case pre-BBAP to $28,000 per case during BBAP.

The payback period to recover the $230,000 BBAP program costs was 7.2 months. The cost-savings generated from BBAP efforts amounted to $648,000 in reduction of ongoing expenses. The total return on investment was 281%, nearly a triple gain relative to the amount of money invested in the BBAP program.

Other noteworthy observations arising from the Facilities BBAP program include:

• The OSHA recordable case rate (TRC) decreased from 13.1 recordable cases per 200,000 hours worked (pre-BBAP) to 9.4 recordable cases per 200,000 hours worked (during BBAP) during the period from February 1997 to February 1999.

• Average number of days lost per case dramatically decreased in 1998 from 68 days down to 11 days per case.

• Lost workday case (LWC) rate for Facilities decreased from 10.7 LWCs per 200,000 hours worked to 7.5 LWCs per 200,000 hours worked.

• Workers compensation cost per claim within Facilities decreased from $15,000 per claim to $7,600 per claim (a near-50% reduction).

Conclusions:

Using the ROHSI process, it has demonstrated that the BBAP program implemented by Facilities provided positive benefits for the department and the Laboratory: financial, safety, morale and productivity.

• BBAP has broad application in diverse work environments
• BBAP is an effective accident prevention strategy for proactive management of worker safety by:

• Empowering employees to influence/improve workplace safety

• Emphasizing the control of at-risk behaviors, a leading cause (85%) of all recordable workplace accidents (per National Safety Council)

• Utilizing positive reinforcement through peers by rewarding right/safe behavior versus punitive actions. This has spread positive morale across the Department.

ROHSI will have application in analyzing future health and safety program investments for other EH&S initiatives, such as Ergonomics and Office Behavior Accident Prevention (OBAP).