Human behaviour has a direct influence on safety in many aspects of life atwork, in the

home, on the road, in the air and at sea. Evidence drawn from past disasters, such as the
incidents at Flixborough, Kegworth and Moorgate, and the Piper Alpha incident, indicate that
failures in, or inappropriate, human behaviour were a significant contributory factor.
What is meant, then, by behaviour?

Definition of behaviour
Behaviour is variously defined as:
how a person conducts himself;
the demeanour and manners of an individual;
an observable action of a person.
Behavioural sciences, therefore, are those sciences most concerned with the study of human
and animal behaviour. This study allows the formation of general theories based upon the
observation of specific events. The theories are subsequently used to explain observed
events and, in some cases, to predict future events or outcomes. The causes of human
behaviour are associated with attitude, personality, motivation and memory, together with
those physical and mental characteristics which constitute a person and his environment
Jeremy Stranks, Human Factors and Behavioural Safety, Published by Elsevier Ltd,
Burlington,2007