Sample Solution

A safety management system (SMS) is a framework that systematically identifies and manages risks in order to achieve a desired level of safety performance. This approach focuses on the implementation of procedures, processes and policies that focus on prevention, identification and control of hazards and risks in an organization’s operations (Van Weele et al., 2018). The strength of this approach lies in its ability to reduce the risk of accidents by proactively managing potential hazards before they can cause harm. However, it does have some weaknesses such as cost implications related to implementing new procedures or lack of buy-in from employees if they do not understand the importance of following them (Krause & Blakey, 2016).

In contrast, a behavior-based approach focuses on changing employee behaviors through positive reinforcement and feedback which can be used to increase safety performance. The strength here lies in its ability to directly target individual behaviors at the source rather than trying to change organizational policies which may not be effective (Debbage et al., 2016). However, this approach also has weaknesses such as difficulty creating long term changes due to reliance on short term rewards or punishments (Khamisani & Othman 2012).

The outcome for both approaches is improved safety performance but how each one is achieved differs significantly. The SMS approach relies heavily on systematic planning while the behavior-based approach focuses more on motivating individuals with incentives or disciplinary measures.