SafetyPioneers

Many safety devices on machines are bypassed. For example, noises that serve as safety
warnings are deliberately switched off and bypassed. This is exactly where our nudge comes in
– our nudge consists of several elements that are used specifically with stickers and warning triangles at the relevant points on the machines. These elements are provided with QR codes that contain content to raise awareness. At the same time, we want to minimize not only tampering but also the tolerance of it. In order to take joint action against this, line managers are supported with an exposé. In this way, we are helping to raise awareness of the danger that can arise when safety signals are disconnected. Another positive effect of our nudge is that we encourage employees to handle work machinery responsibly, thereby
minimizing the risk of accidents for themselves and others.

What does the topic mean?

Occupational safety experts assume that protective devices are temporarily or permanently manipulated on one in four machines. Every year, thousands of accidents at work occur due to the manipulation of a protective device.
The topic of “tolerating manipulation” is of great importance for occupational safety. It refers to how people deal with safety devices that serve as protection against hazards. This manipulation and the associated tolerance can cause many accidents at work and endanger the lives of oneself and others and have a lasting negative impact.

Goal of the nudge

The aim of our nudge is to increase employees’ risk awareness and reduce hazards and accidents. By raising awareness of the dangers of tampering with machines and tolerating it, we want to improve working conditions and safety in the workplace in the long term so that employees go to work in the morning with a reassuring feeling and know that they will return
home to their families in good health in the evening. Our aim is to ensure that managers and employees no longer “look the other way”, but instead specifically ensure that no manipulation of the safety devices on machines takes place.

    Needs analysis

    • Risk of manipulation
      There is an urgent need to improve awareness and understanding of the risks associated with tampering with safety devices.
    • Strengthening the safety culture
      Additionally, strategies are needed to increase the acceptance of security alerts such as beeps while minimizing the perceived disruption. Fundamentally, it is necessary to establish a stronger safety culture in which safety guidelines are respected and tampering with safety devices is not tolerated.

    Cause analysis

    • Social Proof

      One possible explanation is "social proof". When employees see their colleagues
      disconnecting the fuses and this is tolerated or tacitly accepted by others, they feel tempted to
      adopt this behavior as well. The impression is created that disconnecting the fuses is an
      accepted or even expected practice.

    • Availability Heuristic

      The availability heuristic also plays an important role. Employees are more likely to
      remember the moments when the beeping was perceived as annoying than the situations in
      which accidents happened or almost happened. As the annoying feeling caused by the
      beeping is more present, employees tend to disconnect the fuse instead of paying attention to
      the potential dangers.

    • Temporal Discounting

      Our analysis shows that tampering often occurs because employees feel disturbed by the
      beeping and underestimate the risks and consequences. This perception leads them to
      deactivate the security system without fully recognizing the potential dangers.

Target Group

Our Nudge, designed specifically for businesses, is aimed at companies that have machines
with safety devices in the form of a beeper. We develop tailored behavioral interventions that help companies protect their employees.

Added value of the nudge

  • Steigerung des Arbeitsschutzes

    With our Nudge concept, we reduce the number of accidents in companies and actively
    contribute to occupational safety for employees.

  • Stärkung der Arbeitsatomsphäre

    – We create a safe and respectful working atmosphere for your employees by making their
    day-to-day work safe. A positive side effect: in times of a shortage of skilled workers,
    employees are more likely to choose your company over the competition if you still have a
    safe and respectful working atmosphere.

  • Aufklärung

    We sensitize employees and protect supervisors by drawing attention to the problem of
    tampering with safety equipment on machines and condoning it and explaining the dangers of
    non-compliance with safety equipment and the serious consequences of not increasing safety
    awareness, for oneself and for others.

  • Flexibilität

    In addition, our Nudge is highly customizable. We can tailor our Nudge to the needs, wishes
    and priorities of companies and their employees, which enables us to achieve an even greater
    effect in terms of occupational safety and hazard minimization.

CONTACT US

Melanie Mulz

melanie.mulz@stud.hshl.de

Saif Hussain

saif.hussain@stud.hshl.de

Mohamed Kharoof

mohamed.kharoof@stud.hshl.de

Muhammed Kus

muhammed.kus@stud.hshl.de