TCIA REPORTER
FEBRUARY 2012 EDITION
Embark Tree and Landscape Services, a TCIA-accredited company headquartered in Houston, Texas, has adopted what it calls Safety Behavior Assessment, or SBA. The main objective of SBA is to observe and provide positive recognition to workers engaging in behaviors that promote the health and well being of themselves and those around them. At the same time, SBA targets risky behaviors for improvement.
Members of Embark’s management randomly select a crew and observe them performing regular tasks for approximately 15 minutes. During the observations, the numbers of safe as well as unsafe behaviors are recorded on a scorecard. Every crew is observed at least once a month.
Afterward, the observer makes specific comments to the crew on both safe and unsafe behaviors. Often, employees don’t recognize how behaviors can become habit, or lead to complacency. The observer takes this opportunity to train, and to bring the crew up to date with any safety bulletins, near-miss reports and lessons from other observations. Workers are asked to recount the discussion and pledge their commitment to focus on correcting any unsafe behaviors.
Finally, the company’s safety committee reviews and analyzes the data generated through the SBA process to look for trends and opportunities to improve.
The company feels strongly that SBA is a proactive process that reinforces safe behaviors as well as professionalism.
