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Darren Sutton's

Your Field Guide To Behavioural Science For Leadership In Safety

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Meet The Author

Darren Sutton (MSc Performance Psychology) is the creator of the IOSH Accredited Behavioural Science for Leadership in Safety Program. Still the only formally recognised training program in the world that’s formally recognised by a global professional body.

He specialises in translating complex behavioural science into practical frameworks that help organisations move from compliance to care and from great to sustainable excellence.

Founder, Behavioural Safety Services

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The Perfect Storm

The perfect storm happens in workplaces every single day.

Someone rushing to meet a deadline.

Cutting a corner to get the job done.

Taking a shortcut because "the boss is waiting."

Then being thanked for getting it done quickly.

Maybe even rewarded for "making it happen."

The antecedents are there (procedures, training, rules).

The risks are known.

But the consequences all align to reinforce the risky behaviour:

  • No punishment for the risk
  • Ignored by those who saw it
  • Praised for the outcome
  • Rewarded for the result

This is how we create the conditions that make incidents inevitable.

The question isn't whether this is happening in your organisation.

The question is: what are you going to do about it?

This Book Gives You The Answer

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14 Chapters. One Integrated Framework

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UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE

Attitudes - Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviour

Self Determination Theory - Why People Care

Self Talk - The Voice That Shapes Decisions

Growth Mindset - The Foundation of Learning

 

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UNDERSTANDING SYSTEMS

The Dark Side of Incentives

Rethinking Causation - Why Things Really Happen

Beyond Swiss Cheese - Creating Excellence Through Complexity

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CHANGING BEHAVIOUR

ABC Analysis - The Science of Behavioural Change

How Leaders Shape Learning - The 10-20-70 Rule

Changing Attitudes Through Behaviour

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CREATING EXCELLENCE

The Middle Matters Most - Your Secret Weapon

Building a Culture of Care

Bringing It All Together

Foreword

In the main, behaviour is predictable and lawful. When B.F. Skinner wrote those words, he was offering safety leaders the most powerful tool the world of work has: if behaviour follows discoverable principles, then it can be understood, predicted and influenced. 

Dom Cooper, Ph.D.

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Formats & Pricing

Hardcover
Premium quality binding
Perfect for reference and note taking
£24.99

eBook (Kindle/ePub)
Read on any device
Searchable text
£12.99

Bulk Discounts for Teams

10-49 copies: 20% off
50-99 copies: 30% off
100+ copies: 40% off

Perfect for Leadership teams, Safety departments, Organisation wide implementation & Training programmes.

Exclusive Bonuses

Order Today and Receive

  • The Companion Workbook (PDF)
    Practical exercises for each chapter

  • ABC Analysis Template Pack
    Ready to use observation and analysis tools

  • Incident Investigation Framework
    Complete five level investigation guide

  • Perfect Storm Prevention Checklist
    Identify and fix misaligned consequences

  • Culture Assessment Tools
    Measure where you are, track progress

  • Leadership Development Planner
    90 day implementation guide

  • Growth Mindset Language Guide
    Replace fixed mindset with growth mindset language

  • Community
    Access to exclusive online community of leaders applying these principles

Total Bonus Value: £197
FREE with book purchase

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What Happens After You Order
Immediately
  • Confirmation email with order details
  • Access to all bonus materials (downloads)
  • Welcome to online community
Within 24 Hours
  • eBook delivered (if ordered)
  • Audiobook access (if ordered)
Within 3-5 Business Days
  • Hardcover ships (if ordered)
  • Tracking information provided
Ongoing
  • Community access
  • Regular content updates
  • Email support
  • Programme information

Testimonials

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Ben Hirst

Chairman of IPAF

Darren has an exceptional ability to translate the complexity performance into a practical, usable framework for leaders. His philosophy cuts through the noise and gives you a clear, structured way of understanding behaviour and influencing positive change in real-world environments. This book will be invaluable to anyone committed to building safer, higher-performing cultures.

Ant Lindley
Ant Lindley

Head of HSE GB Surfacing

I’ve seen firsthand how Darren’s behavioural science approach unlocks better conversations, stronger relationships and safer decision making on the ground. His work offers new perspectives and equips leaders with the tools to create long-lasting improvements. A must have for anyone serious about modern safety leadership.

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Atiq Moghul

Executive Safety Leadership Coach

What an incredible milestone. The journey you’ve described, from the early days of delivering the program to thousands of leaders, to wrestling with the idea of capturing it all in a book, really shows the depth of experience and heart behind your work. Your ability to turn real-world challenges, behavioural insights, and leadership struggles into something practical and transformational is what makes your teaching stand out for all of us who have learned from you.

This book is not just another publication; it’s a legacy piece for our entire profession. 

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Fee Nunn

Award Winning HSE Lead

I was on one of your early course with our SLT  and it was a pivotal moment in helping many to approach the psychology of health and safety in a new and exciting way! I’ll remember the preverbial light bulbs around the room, as suddenly people “got it!. Looking forward to reading this book.

Who Is This Book For?

This Book Is For You If

✓ You're a safety leader frustrated by limited results from traditional approaches
✓ You manage people and want to understand what drives their behaviour
✓ You investigate incidents and want to extract genuine learning
✓ You're tired of fighting human nature and ready to work with it
✓ You know culture matters more than procedures but don't know how to build it
✓ You want practical frameworks backed by research, not theory disconnected from reality
✓ You've seen "perfect storms" in your organisation and want to prevent them
✓ You're ready to move beyond compliance to create genuine culture of care

This Book Is NOT For You If

✗ You believe compliance equals safety
✗ You're looking for another procedure manual
✗ You think incidents are just about careless people
✗ You're not willing to change your approach
✗ You want quick fixes rather than deep understanding

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just theory or is it practical?

Every concept is grounded in rigorous research AND tested in real practice. You get frameworks you can apply immediately. The Perfect Storm story isn't theoretical—it happens in organisations every day. This book teaches you to recognise it and prevent it.

Do I need a psychology background to understand this?

No. Complex behavioural science has been translated into accessible, practical language. If you can understand why people do what they do in everyday life, you can understand this book.

How is this different from other safety books?

Most safety books tell you WHAT you should do. This book teaches you HOW behaviour actually works. Understanding enables effective action. Once you understand the principles, you can solve problems you haven't even encountered yet.

Will this work in my heavily regulated industry?

Yes. Behavioural science works within any regulatory framework. You're not replacing procedures or regulations. You're making them work through better implementation. Understanding behaviour makes compliance more effective, not less.

Can I implement this without organisational buy in?

Absolutely. Start with your own team. Apply the principles with the people you influence directly. Demonstrate results. Let success speak. Then share the book with stakeholders. Bottom up transformation is often more sustainable than top down mandates.

How long does it take to see results?

Some principles work immediately. Ask "Are you okay?" tomorrow and you'll see the impact. Others build over weeks and months. The book includes a 90 day implementation guide. Most leaders report noticeable shifts in team engagement within 4-6 weeks of consistent application.

Is there ongoing support after reading the book?

Yes. You get:

  • Access to online community of leaders
  • applying these principles
  • Bonus materials and templates
  • Option to attend IOSH Accredited
  • Programme for deeper learning
  • Email support for questions
  • Regular content and updates
What if my organisation has tried "behavioural safety" before and it didn't work?

Most "behavioural safety" programmes focus on observation and feedback without understanding the deeper psychology of motivation, mindset, and systems. This is different. This teaches you the underlying science so you understand WHY interventions work or don't work. You become capable of designing effective approaches, not just implementing someone else's programme.

How do I measure success with this approach?

The book teaches you to track both process (what you're doing) and outcomes (what's happening). Process measures: Are you asking "Are you okay?" daily? Are you using ABC Analysis? Are you building PAM? Outcome indicators: Near miss reporting increases. People speak up more. Engagement improves. Culture shifts. Then incident rates improve because genuine conditions have changed.

Where should I start if I buy the book?

Read Introduction (Chapter 1) to understand the framework. Then Chapter 2 (Thoughts → Feelings → Behaviour) is foundational. From there, either read sequentially or jump to chapters addressing your biggest challenges: Chapter 3 for motivation issues, Chapter 9 for behaviour change, Chapter 7 for investigation, Chapter 13 for culture building.

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