Actively Caring for Safety

Actively Caring for Safety: The Psychological Science of Injury Prevention outlines proactive applications of applied behavioural science and humanism (i.e., humanistic behaviourism) for improving health and safety. This text provides evidence-based principles for customizing effective processes for improving the human dynamics of safety and health in various locations-from home to the workplace, and throughout a community. World-renowned health/safety researcher, teacher, and consultant E. Scott Geller combines theory and principles in practical step-by-step procedures with behavioral science methods capable of enhancing safety awareness, reducing at-risk behavior, and facilitating ongoing participation in safety-related activities. Drawing upon his bestselling works Working Safe and The Psychology of Safety Handbook, this book presents a science-based and practical approach to improving attitudes and behavior for achieving an injury-free work environment. The text has been improved and updated throughout and includes additional material on a rationale for language to replace common safety-related words that stifle human engagement. Plus, critical safety-relevant information is provided on empathy, emotional intelligence, self-motivation, positive psychology, psychological safety, the dramatic benefits of promoting perceptions of personal choice, and critical distinctions between leadership and management for optimizing workplace safety and productivity. Written in an enjoyable, anecdotal, and engaging style, this is an essential read for any student, academic, researcher, or professional of health and safety.

E. Scott Geller is an Alumni Distinguished Professor and has started his 54th year as a teacher and researcher in the Department of Psychology at Virginia Tech, and Director of the Center for Applied Behavior Systems. Dr. Geller is also a co-founder and Senior Partner of Safety Performance Solutions, Inc. He has authored, coauthored, or edited 52 books, 88 book chapters, 40 training manuals, 275 magazine articles, and over 300 research articles addressing the development and evaluation of behavior-focused interventions to improve human welfare and life satisfaction. Dr. Geller has received lifetime achievement awards from the International Organizational Behavior Management Network and the American Psychological Foundation. The College of Wooster awarded Professor Geller the Honorary Degree: Doctor of Humane Letters.

Part One. Orientation and Alignment. 1. Choosing the Right Approach. 2. Starting with Theory. 3. Paradigm Shifts for a Total Safety Culture. Part Two. Human Barriers to Safety. 4. The Complexity of People. 5. Sensation, Perception, and Perceived Risk. 6. Stress vs. Distress. Part Three. Behavior-Based Psychology. 7. Basic Principles. 8. Identifying Critical Behaviors. 9. Behavioral Safety Analysis. Part Four. Behavior-Based Intervention. 10. Intervening with Activators. 11. Intervening with Consequences. 12. Intervening as an Actively Caring Coach. 13. Intervening with Supportive Conversation. Part Five. Actively Caring for People (AC4P). 14. Understanding Actively Caring. 15. The Person-Based Approach to Actively Caring. 16. Increasing Occurrences of AC4P Behavior. Part Six: Putting it all Together. 17. Promoting High-Performance Teamwork. 18. Evaluating for Continuous Improvement.