The safety observer effect: The effects of conducting safety observations

Improving construction site safety through leader-based verbal safety communication

“…Likewise, studies could measure longitudinal effects of coaching by following foremen and their work gangs from site to site. Recent evidence shows that the effects of safety observations are greatest when carried out by the participants themselves -a peer-to-peer observational process (Alvero, Rost, & Austin, 2008). Such a process would allow companies to administer and maintain the safety processes themselves, and may also have the additional benefit of promoting the 'observer effect' -whereby the observers perform more safely due to them having conducted the safety observations themselves (Ibid).…”

When workplace safety depends on behavior change: Topics for behavioral safety research

“…One reported advantage of training peer observers is the claim that the act of observing the safety performance of others promotes the observer's own safety behavior (McSween, 2003). The so-called "observer effect" has been studied empirically (Alvero & Austin, 2004;Alvero, Rost, & Austin, 2008;Sasson & Austin, 2004), but it is unclear what conditions promote or influence this effect.…”

Effects of Behavioral Skills Training With Directed Data Collection on the Acquisition of Behavioral Practices by Workers in a Private, Not-for-Profit Child Care Center

“…Because research suggests that the observation process is relevant to subsequent increases in accurate performance by the observers (Alvero, Rost, & Austin, 2008), workers recorded data on caregiver performance while viewing the videos. The data sheets workers used during training sessions included a brief description and examples of the responses targeted and space to record occurrence/nonoccurrence for each of four 5-min intervals.…”