Industrial safety hazard reduction through performance feedback.
A weekly note with hazard counts, praise, and two tips cut safety risks a large share and kept workers safe after researchers left.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Six factory departments got a simple feedback package. Observers counted safety hazards each week.
Workers then received a sheet with their score, a thank-you note, and two easy fixes. Sometimes the plant manager added a handwritten comment.
What they found
Hazards dropped a large share on average and stayed low. The company later ran a lighter version alone—and it still worked.
How this fits with other research
Pascale et al. (2025) used a similar multiple-baseline plan with adults and also saw big drops—in prison rule breaking instead of safety slips.
Rubow et al. (2018) added praise to a group game and cut classroom disruption. The pattern is the same: show the score, add kind words, behavior falls.
Sorrell et al. (2025) paired feedback with video clips to train teachers. Again, short feedback loops changed adult actions—this time teaching skills instead of hazard rates.
Why it matters
You don’t need cash prizes or day-long trainings. One data sheet plus genuine praise can shrink problem behavior by half in any workplace—factory, school, or clinic. Try it Monday: pick one staff habit, count it daily, and hand back a quick note with thanks and two tips.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
A "feedback package" system, designed to prevent occupational accidents and to fit directly into the normal operations of an industrial organization, was analyzed. Eighteen hazardous conditions in six production departments were assessed during seven observation sessions over a 12-week period, plus four follow-up observations over 4 months. The "feedback package" was presented in multiple baseline fashion, across subjects (department supervisors). It consisted of presenting the supervisor with copies of observational data, accompanied by a note which congratulated good practices and suggested ways for improving safety conditions, along with occasional comments from a senior executive. The results indicated that during the feedback phase, hazard rates were lower and less variable than during the baseline phase. Baseline data were highly variable with peaks ranging from 20 to 55 hazards per department. Following intervention, hazard frequencies dropped by 60%, averaged across departments, with decreases ranging from 29% to 88%. During treatment, data stabilized, with the highest frequency reaching 33. A modified feedback system was implemented by the organization following termination of the study, validating the assumption that such a system would tend to maintain.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 1980 · doi:10.1901/jaba.1980.13-287