Most safety training programs are attacking the wrong problem.
That's the provocative insight from learning and development expert Paul Matthews, who argues that many organisations are stuck in an ineffective cycle of repeating training when what they really need is better behavioural maintenance.
In a revealing conversation on The Recognition Factor podcast, Matthews draws on decades of experience to explain why traditional approaches to safety training often fail to create lasting change - and what we can do about it.
The Training Trap
"The first indicator that training comes up in the conversation is when people aren't doing things the way you want them to do them," Matthews explains. "But the typical default reaction is 'Well, they don't know how, so let's train them how.'"
This assumption - that knowledge gaps are the primary barrier to safe behaviour - leads organisations down an expensive and often ineffective path. They invest in comprehensive training programs, detailed curricula, and repeated sessions, yet still struggle to see sustained behavioural change.
The problem? They're solving for the wrong challenge.
The Critical Distinction: Acquisition vs Maintenance
Matthews introduces a crucial framework for understanding why traditional training often falls short: the difference between skill acquisition and skill maintenance.
"There are two different phases to skills," he explains. "There's the skills acquisition - when you need to learn about and acquire and practice a skill to the point where you now have it at a sufficient level to do it. But then there's maintenance of that skill over time."
Many safety issues aren't about workers not knowing what to do - they're about maintaining good safety practices in the face of competing pressures and priorities. Yet organisations often respond by putting workers through the same training programs repeatedly, focusing on acquisition when maintenance is the real challenge.
The Power of Present Benefits
One of the most compelling insights Matthews shares is about the psychology of motivation and what he calls "discounted future benefits."
"If I offer you one pound now or a hundred pounds in a year's time, a lot of people take the pound right now because it's immediate," he explains. "Anything that we see as a benefit in the future is discounted in our minds."
This psychological principle has profound implications for safety behaviour. When a worker is deciding whether to take a safety shortcut, the immediate benefit (saving time) often outweighs the potential future cost (injury risk).
This is where recognition and rewards show their power. By providing immediate positive reinforcement for safe behaviour, systems like Scratchie create present-moment benefits that can overcome our natural tendency to discount future consequences.
A Real-World Example: The Power of Peer Observation
Matthews shares a fascinating case study of how one organisation transformed its safety culture through peer observation and recognition. Rather than focusing on traditional training, they empowered new employees to document safety issues they observed during their onboarding period.
This approach had several powerful effects:
- It made safety observations part of the normal workflow
- It created positive peer pressure for safe behaviour
- It reinforced good practices through social recognition
- It helped maintain safety standards without constant management intervention
The SAT NAV Model for Behavioural Change
To help organisations rethink their approach to safety improvement, Matthews introduces the SAT NAV analogy - a practical framework for creating lasting behavioural change:
- Know your starting point (current behaviours)
- Define clear destination (desired behaviours)
- Create step-by-step guidance
- Build in progress tracking and course correction
This model emphasises the importance of clear behavioural objectives and ongoing support, rather than just knowledge transfer.
Moving Forward: A New Approach to Safety Improvement
The key takeaway? Stop treating every safety challenge as a training problem. Instead:
- Assess whether you're dealing with an acquisition or maintenance challenge
- Focus on creating immediate positive reinforcement for desired behaviours
- Build systems that support ongoing behavioural maintenance
- Use peer observation and recognition to create cultural change
- Measure observable behaviours rather than just training completion
By understanding these principles and implementing tools like Scratchie that support them, organisations can create more effective and sustainable safety improvements.
Ready to transform your approach to safety? Book a demo today to learn how Scratchie can help you build a culture of recognition and continuous improvement.
