Ithuta JV

Source - Article by Bob Andrew

Occupational Health Psychology (OHP) is a relatively new branch of Occupational Health and Safety. This field is concerned with behavioural psychology as it affects the implementation and sustainability of work-place health and safety regulations. In its broadest form, OHP is involved in the recognition, measurement and alleviation of worker stress, which has often been seen as a key factor in the cause of accidents.

A key figure in the development of a more focused view of psychology in health and safety is Emeritus Professor Gerald Wilde at Queen’s University in Canada, who has gained fame (some might say notoriety) with his Risk Homeostasis theory, which is elucidated in his book ‘Target Risk 2: A New Psychology of Safety and Health’.

Risk Homeostasis, also called Risk Compensation, argues that traditional health and safety campaigns tend to ‘move accidents around’ rather than eliminate or reduce their incidence. This is because these traditional approaches fail to motivate individuals to change their ‘target level’ of risk, which is defined as the amount of risk that they are willing to accept in their everyday lives. Individuals tend to adapt their behaviour to more stringent regulations , but increase their level of risk-taking in other areas. It’s as if we have a built-in risk-taking thermostat, a subconscious sense of our personal risk-taking behaviour; our own individual ‘target risk’. We set a risk target and adjust our behavior accordingly.

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An example of risk homeostasis is the effect of automatic antilock braking systems (ABS) on automobile accident rates. While the technology of ABS is sound and the systems work, evidence has shown that drivers with ABS-equipped vehicles tend to drive faster and rely more on their brakes than drivers of vehicles with no ABS. The U.S. Highway Loss Data Institute has reported that the introduction of mandatory ABS in motor vehicles has not reduced either the frequency or the cost of accidents.

Wilde’s theory is controversial because it flies in the face of traditional health and safety policies, such as ‘technological fixes’ to make equipment safer or the imposition of more and more stringent accident prevention regulations on the lines of ‘more accidents, more regulations.

Wilde believes that safety ‘comes from within’ and an individual’s target risk will be established more by personal expectations than by enforcement. Attitudes towards safety can only be improved by improving people's expectations of their future. Examples cited by Wilde include a study of motorists that found that individuals who valued their future highly had fewer accidents, and generally had better attitudes towards safety. Another study showed that American students with a strong future orientation were less likely to smoke or smoked less. High expectations for the future can have a powerful effect on health and safety behavior.

Although controversial, the ideas suggested by Wilde could have important implications for anyone who must manage and control health and safety risks