Abstract: It is not easy to implement an ABA protocol in a workplace. Above all the Behavior-Based Safety process that includes peer-to-peer observation, positive and corrective feedback, safety meeting with workers. Above all, in an Italian metallurgic plant that employs people prejudices due to previous contingencies made of command-and-control management style, abuse of punishment, political ideologies, etc. that converted in a deep resistance to cultural change. In 2015, management decided to implement a BBS process in a pilot department with about 100 employees with the prime goals of reducing injury and severity rate. The behavior analysts leading the intervention scheduled and delivered several presentations and trainings to employees all along the project in order to catch their consensus towards ABA and safety issues. Workers? opinions (i.e. verbal behaviors) have been tracked before-and-after the beginning of the observation-and-feedback process: people attitudes changed meaningfully and favorably towards colleagues, leaders, and managers. These outcomes matched consistently with the improvement of motorial safety behavior frequency (mainly by workers), of safety management behaviors intensity (mainly by leaders) and safety results (i.e. frequency fell by 16% and severity index fell by 56%). The speakers will describe the antecedent-based strategy (i.e. presentations) needed to introduce ABA smoothly in a conflictual workplace. |