Unsafe behavior in the laboratory: tips from TNO for effective interventions

There is a lot of attention for safety in the laboratory. Especially when working with unsafe substances. But despite strict laws and regulations and far-reaching measures, things can still go wrong. According to Jody Schinkel of TNO, the personal behavior of employees plays a role here. He explains what the risks are and how you can effectively adjust the behavior of employees.

It is estimated that approximately 4,000 people die each year in the Netherlands due to unhealthy work. The main cause of these deaths is long-term exposure to hazardous substances. “The majority of these employees die during their retirement,” Jody explains. “So these are not acute deaths, but they are definitely related to the situation on the work floor. If you look at the loss of healthy life years, so not directly death, we lose approximately 200,000 healthy life years per year. Only smoking and obesity have a greater contribution.”

Jody Schinkel is business development manager at TNO. Together with fellow occupational hygienists and safety experts, he conducts research into hazardous substances in the workplace. “We often see that all technical measures to protect employees have been taken, but that exposure is still measured. In that case, measures are not properly adhered to and you look at the behavior of the employees. Think, for example, of personal protective equipment that is not used. Or an extraction system that is present, but is not used properly.”

Effective interventions

Together with a group of behavioural scientists and occupational hygienists, TNO has developed a supporting tool with measures for correcting unsafe behaviour. “For the GIDS – Behavioural Intervention Do-it-yourself tool Substances, we conducted a literature study on evidence-based behavioural interventions and, based on this, drew up a list of effective interventions. In doing so, we asked ourselves the question: with which interventions can you positively and permanently influence behaviour? We then divided the list of interventions into four categories: technical, individual, organisational and social.”

Jody explains this classification using an example: “Suppose someone has to wear a face mask during a procedure, but doesn’t. If the employee indicates that the mask doesn’t fit well, the solution is technical, because then you look for a mask that does fit well. Does the employee forget to put on the mask? Then you look at an individual intervention and you can effectively influence behavior with, for example, nudging. Think of reminders using pictograms, sounds or light. For example, the employee will then receive a reminder to put on the mask before operating the machine.”

If the employee indicates that he is laughed at when he puts on the mask, then you look at a social or organizational intervention. “Such interventions are complicated, because this often has to do with corporate culture. We do not have one simple intervention for that and it often requires a combination of interventions at the various organizational levels, starting with the (exemplary) behavior of the management.”

The tool helps to determine where the problem lies, not which solution is best, Jody explains. “We always encourage to have a conversation and find out why a certain rule or measure is not being followed. The great thing is that when you understand that, interventions are often cheaper and more effective.”

For more information about healthy and safe behavior at work, visit the TNO website.

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