In this blog series, we ask industry experts “Where do you see Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) in 5 years?” 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 to get an insider look at how to manage an effective Behavior Based Safety management program.
We’ve asked professional safety leaders this simple question: “Where do you see BBS in 5 years?” Their responses reveal a consistent theme: 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 improvements are made to machine guarding and automation, the remaining hazards that an employee is exposed to will need to be mitigated by safe work procedures and protective equipment — both of which require the individual employee to choose what they will do.” This optimistic view of BBS’s trajectory still comes with practical questions from Chad: “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 BBS programs remain essential. Engineering controls and automation can eliminate many physical hazards, but they cannot fully substitute for the human decisions that workers make dozens of times each day. As organizations progress along the safety maturity curve — from reactive to proactive — BBS observation programs that reinforce safe behaviors become increasingly central to achieving and sustaining low Total Recordable Incident Rates (TRIR). ISO 45001:2018 explicitly supports this approach, requiring 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 showing where your lagging indicators are, while offering suggestions on how to correct behaviors and get 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 from lagging indicators — recordable injuries, lost-time incidents — to leading indicators — near-miss reports, safe behavior observation rates, corrective action closure times — is one of the most important developments in modern EHS management. BBS programs that are built on consistent, structured observation data give safety directors and EHS managers the statistical foundation 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 that supports proactive risk management — and makes it far easier to prepare for regulatory audits and demonstrate compliance with OSHA recordkeeping requirements (29 CFR 1904) and ISO 45001 performance evaluation obligations.
30+ Audit and inspection checklists free for download.
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. John’s perspective — “the same way we do things every day” — reflects one of the defining characteristics of a mature BBS program: it becomes embedded in the organization’s daily operational rhythm rather than being treated as a standalone initiative. A solid BBS program should be predictive, sustainable, and established to support the organization well into the future. The organizations that will see the greatest benefit from BBS over the next five years are those that invest now in structured observation processes, consistent data collection, and digital tools that surface behavioral trends before they become incidents. The future of BBS lies at the intersection of real-time data, predictive analytics, and a culture where every employee — from front-line workers to senior leadership — 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.
Why You Should Include Behavior Based Safety in your Safety Management Program
How Do You Measure the Success Of A BBS Program?
Tips To Increase Participation, Buy-In And The Effectiveness Of Your BBS Program
How to Avoid the BBS ‘Blame Game’
How Do You Avoid ‘Pencil Whipping’ With BBS Programs?
Where Do BBS Programs Typically Fail?
What Impact Will technology have on your Behavior Based Safety Program?
