Summary: Behavior-Based Safety is becoming more important because automation removes some mechanical hazards, but it leaves more risk tied to worker decisions, safe work procedures, and PPE use. For EHS managers, modern BBS works best as a predictive, data-driven process that identifies unsafe behaviors early, reinforces safe choices, and helps prevent incidents before they escalate into recordable events or OSHA exposure.
In this blog series, we ask industry experts “Where do you see Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) in 5 years?” Specifically, we have spoken with industry professionals Joseph Braun, EHS Manager at Ferrara Candy Company; John Peoples, Global EHS Manager at Huntsman Corporation; and Chad Rasmussen, EHS Manager at Cardinal Health. Together, they offer an insider look at how to manage an effective Behavior Based Safety management program.
We asked professional safety leaders a simple question: “Where do you see BBS in 5 years?” Their responses reveal a consistent theme. In fact, Behavior-Based Safety is evolving from a reactive observation tool into a predictive, data-driven pillar of occupational health and safety management. Here are their perspectives, alongside insights from Certainty Software.
BBS Playing a More Important Role than Ever
Chad Rasmussen, EHS Manager at Cardinal Health, sees BBS as “playing a more important role than ever.” As organizations improve machine guarding and automation, the remaining hazards require employees to follow safe work procedures and wear protective equipment. In other words, both of these areas require individual employees to choose the right action.
However, Chad raises practical questions that highlight this challenge. “Will they follow the procedure they’re trained to do, or use shortcuts? Will they wear the proper safety equipment, or do they feel it is too much of a burden or forget to wear it?” These questions are at the heart of why the future of BBS programs remains essential.
Engineering controls and automation can eliminate many physical hazards. However, they cannot fully substitute for the human decisions that workers make dozens of times each day. As a result, organizations progressing along the safety maturity curve need BBS observation programs that reinforce safe behaviors. These programs become increasingly central to achieving and sustaining low Total Recordable Incident Rates (TRIR). Furthermore, ISO 45001:2018 explicitly supports this approach. It requires organizations to address worker competence, participation, and behavioral factors as part of a comprehensive occupational health and safety management system.
BBS to Make Data-driven Decisions & Prevent Incidents
Joseph Braun, EHS Manager at Ferrara Candy Company, looks forward to “the ability to analyze the data and form a plan for you.” Specifically, this means showing where your lagging indicators are while offering suggestions on how to correct behaviors. Moreover, it involves getting the right procedures in place.
As the technology, understanding, and application of behavior-based safety continue to advance, it will become significantly easier to make data-driven decisions and predict preventable incidents before they occur. This shift moves organizations from lagging indicators — recordable injuries, lost-time incidents — to leading indicators. For example, these include near-miss reports, safe behavior observation rates, and corrective action closure times. This change represents one of the most important developments in modern EHS management.
Additionally, BBS programs built on consistent, structured observation data give safety directors a strong statistical foundation. They can use this data to identify behavioral patterns, prioritize interventions, and demonstrate measurable improvement in safety performance. Platforms that integrate BBS observations with inspection results and incident data create a unified safety intelligence layer. Consequently, this supports proactive risk management and makes it far easier to prepare for regulatory audits. It also helps demonstrate compliance with OSHA recordkeeping requirements (29 CFR 1904) and ISO 45001 performance evaluation obligations.
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BBS Programs Should Be Predictive and Support Future Safety
John Peoples, Global EHS Manager at Huntsman Corporation, takes a grounded, long-term view. He doesn’t anticipate dramatic changes because Huntsman has already built a safety program designed to endure. In particular, John’s perspective — “the same way we do things every day” — reflects a defining characteristic of a mature BBS program. It becomes embedded in the organization’s daily operational rhythm rather than existing as a standalone initiative.
A solid BBS program should be predictive, sustainable, and established to support the organization well into the future. Therefore, the organizations that will see the greatest benefit over the next five years are those that invest now. They should focus on structured observation processes, consistent data collection, and digital tools that surface behavioral trends before they become incidents. Ultimately, the future of BBS lies at the intersection of real-time data, predictive analytics, and a culture where every employee sees safety observation as a core professional responsibility rather than a compliance formality.
Check out previous blogs in this series and stay tuned for more insights from safety leaders across industry!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) and why does it matter?
Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) is a systematic approach to workplace safety that focuses on observing, measuring, and reinforcing safe worker behaviors. Rather than relying solely on incident investigations and lagging indicators, BBS programs use structured observations to identify at-risk behaviors before they cause harm. Effective BBS programs are associated with measurable reductions in TRIR, improved near-miss reporting rates, and stronger safety cultures — and are supported by ISO 45001 as a key component of worker participation and behavioral risk management.
How will technology change BBS programs in the next five years?
Technology is enabling BBS programs to move from paper-based or basic digital observation forms to fully integrated safety management platforms. In the near future, BBS programs will increasingly leverage mobile observation tools, real-time dashboards, and predictive analytics to identify behavioral risk patterns across sites and departments. Integration with incident management, inspection data, and corrective action tracking gives EHS managers a unified view of safety performance — enabling proactive intervention rather than reactive response.
How do you measure the success of a BBS program?
BBS program success is measured using both leading and lagging indicators. Leading indicators include observation completion rates, the ratio of safe to at-risk behaviors observed, corrective action closure rates, and worker participation in the program. Lagging indicators include TRIR, Lost Time Incident Rate (LTIR), and near-miss reporting frequency. A healthy BBS program will show improvement in leading indicators before corresponding improvements appear in lagging ones — making consistent data collection and tracking essential.
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