Habits play an essential role in safe behavior. And as Tim Page-Bottorff explains in his article “The Habit of Safety: Forming, Changing & Reinforcing Key Behaviors”, they can be a key driver of whether workers wear their PPE, strain their back or slip while walking.

The article reviews current research on the subject and provides a number of interesting takeaways. If you’re looking to improve behavior patterns in a workforce, Tim’s article is a must-read.

The article is featured in the Best Practices section of the latest issue of Professional Safety. It discusses:

• the role habits play in safety
• how stress affects safety behavior
• habit formation and behavior change
• what safety professionals can do to encourage stronger habits

It’s also a great companion piece to “The Power of Safety”, an excerpt from Charles Duhigg’s book that takes an organizational view on habits and how safety programs are affected by management’s approach to employee behavior.