You cannot improve your organization's safety performance to enviable levels without addressing human behavior and attitude effectively. The only comprehensive reference on the psychology of the human dynamics of safety, The Psychology of Safety Handbook shows you how to apply psychology to improve safety and health in your organization. Dr. Geller provides theory, procedures, and tools to guide your organization's long-term continuous improvement. Based on Dr. Geller's bestselling The Psychology of Safety, this new and expanded Handbook gives you everything you need to decrease the frequency and severity of accidental injuries in your organization. He covers all areas of psychology directly relevant to understanding and influencing safety-related behaviors. Engineering interventions and government policy have made their mark on injury reduction. Now it is time to work with the human dynamics of injury prevention. The cause of most injuries can be attributed to at-risk behavior or insufficient safe behavior. The Psychology of Safety Handbook not only teaches principles and practical procedures for improving safety-related behaviors, but also illustrates how to increase people's willingness to use these techniques to create a Total Safety Culture.For more than three decades, Professor E. Scott Geller has taught and conducted research as a faculty member of Virginia Tech's Department of Psychology. In this capacity he has authored more than 250 research articles and over 50 books or chapters addressing the development and evaluation of behavior-change interventions to improve quality of life. He has authored seven books on managing behaviors and attitudes for occupational health and safety, including The Psychology of Safety and Working Safe. Dr. Geller is Senior Partner of Safety Performance Solutions, a leading training and consulting firm helping companies empower their employees to achieve a Total Safety Culture. He has been awarded Fellow status by the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, and the World Academy of Productivity and Quality. Moreover, Scott Geller has been honored with three university-wide teaching awards - every one offered by Virginia Tech.

Table of Contents

ORIENTATION AND ALIGNMENT Choosing the Right Approach Selecting the Best Approach The Fallacy of Relying on Common Sense Start with Behavior Starting with Theory The Mission Statement Theory as a Map Behavior-Based vs. Person-Based Approaches Paradigm Shifts for Total Safety The Old Three Es Three New Es Shifting Paradigms Enduring Values HUMAN BARRIERS TO SAFETY The Complexity of People Fighting Human Nature Cognitive Failures Interpersonal Factors Sensation, Perception, and Perceived Risk An Example of Selective Sensation or Perception Perceived Risk Risk Compensation Stress vs. Distress What is Stress? Identifying Stressors Coping with Stressors Attributional Bias BEHAVIOR-BASED PSYCHOLOGY Basic Principles Primacy of Behavior Direct Assessment and Evaluation Intervention by Managers and Peers Learning from Experience Defining Critical Behaviors The DO IT Process Defining Target Behaviors Observing Behavior Two Basic Approaches Behavioral Safety Analysis Reducing Behavioral Discrepancy Behavior-Based Safety Training Intervention and the Flow of Behavior Change BEHAVIOR-BASED INTERVENTION Intervening with Activators Principle #1: Specify Behavior Principle #2: Maintain Salience with Novelty Principle #3: Vary the Message Principle #4: Involve the Target Audience Principle #5: Activate Close to Response Opportunity Principle #6: Implicate Consequences Intervening with Consequences The Power of Consequences Managing Consequences for Safety "Dos" and "Don'ts" of Safety Rewards Intervening as a Behavior-Change Agent Selecting an Intervention Approach Intervening as a Safety Coach The Safety Coaching Process What Can a Safety Coach Achieve? Self Appraisal of Coaching Skills Intervening with Supportive Conversation The Power of Conversation The Art of Improving Conversation Conversation for Safety Management Recognizing Safety Achievement Receiving Recognition Well Quality Safety Celebrations Choosing the Best Management Conversation ACTIVELY CARING FOR SAFETY Understanding Actively Caring What is Actively Caring? The Psychology of Actively Caring Deciding to Actively Care A Consequence Analysis of Actively Caring The Power of Context The Person-Based Approach to Actively Caring Actively Caring From the Inside Measuring Actively Caring States Theoretical Support for the Actively Caring Model Research Support for the Actively Caring Model Actively Caring and Emotional Intelligence Increasing Actively Caring Behaviors Enhancing the Actively Caring Person States The Power of Choice Directly Increasing Actively Caring Behaviors The Reciprocity Principle Commitment and Consistency PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER Promoting High-Performance Teamwork Paradigm Shifts for Teamwork When Teams Don't Work Well Cultivating High-Performance Teamwork The Developmental Stages of Teamwork Evaluating for Continuous Improvement Measuring the Right Stuff Developing a Comprehensive Evaluation Process Cooking Numbers for Evaluation Evaluating Costs and Benefits You Cannot Measure Everything Obtaining and Maintaining Involvement Starting the Process Cultivating Continuous Support Overcoming Resistance to Change Planning for Safety Generalization Building and Sustaining Momentum Reviewing the Principles The 50 Principles Subject Index Name Index Each chapter also includes In Conclusion and Reference sections.

Reviews

"This book is a must read for all safety professionals who desire to influence individuals and organizations for improving performance" -Samuel J. Gualardo, CSP, President, American Society of Safety Engineers "This is a book for people who want to get things donefor people who want to save lives. The approach works." -William A. Smith, Ph.D., Academy for Educational Development "the most comprehensive and state-of-the-art review of what is an incredibly complex and often frustrating subject for safety professionals and managers alike." -Richard Lack, Safety and Protection Services, Cheyenne, Wyoming "This book is vintage Scott Geller - full of insight, practical examples, and genuine concern for protecting the safety and health of others." -Don Lisman, VP, Hoescht Fibers and Specialty Chemicals "Scott Geller knows more about the psychology of safety than anyone[he] shows how to create a culture that values actively caring. It should be required reading for every safety professional, every manager, and every employee." -Terry E. McSween, Ph.D., President, Quality Safety Edge, Houston, Texas "Dr. Geller teaches us that safety is really in our own hands for ourselves and those around us." -Morris E. Chafetz, M.D., 1995 Inductee into the Health and Safety Hall of Fame International