“Learning From Normal Work”

VS

behavioral observations

The difference depends on how advanced your behavioral safety program is. The below comparison is based on popular approaches used by large organizations that focus on observing behaviors and correcting them through a conversation.

Behavioral observation/conversation systems are typically based on a belief that unsafe behavior is a cause of accidents. Therefore, the risk is reduced by observing and correcting unsafe behavior.

“Learning From Normal Work” sees behavior as a symptom of how the work is arranged and “unsafe behaviors” as a form of adaptation to normal variability and the context of work.