Safety Culture 101
Author: UNB College of Extended Learning
Posted on Apr 5, 2023
Category: Occupational Health and Safety , Professional Development , News and Events
What is safety culture?
Safety culture is part of an organization's overall culture. It is a shared collection of attitudes, values, standards, and beliefs about safety and risk in the workplace. It is important for safety and environmental improvement.
An organization's culture can be made up of negative and positive characteristics:
- Negative characteristics are a threat to a strong safety culture and often end up contributing to an increased likelihood of a major accident. Companies need to be aware of these threats and work proactively to address them.
- Positive characteristics act as defenses against the negative characteristics. They help to prevent accidents. Companies should actively work to support and strengthen these characteristics for optimal safety outcomes.
"A culture of safety is a journey, not a destination. It requires our continuing diligence." - Read Adm. Terry J. Moulton, Director, Medical Service Corps
How can an organization start to build their safety culture?
- You need to understand what safety culture is. You need to establish the shared attitudes, values, standards, and beliefs regarding safety and risk.
- You need to understand why it matters. What your employees and leaders see, hear, feel, and say affects every decision and action in your organization.
- You need to do what it takes. Now that you know what a safety culture is and why it matters, you need to proactively work toward creating and/or strengthening it in your organization.
"Buy-in is one of the most critical elements of [an effective safety program] from the top to the bottom" - Birchcliff Energy
How does safety culture benefit organizations and employees?
According to research, a subpar safety culture undermines the positive characteristics of an organization, which can lead to increased risk. Establishing and maintaining a positive safety culture helps an organization:
- Clearly align its policies, processes, and procedures with its practices
- Analyze every decision to ensure risks are addressed and managed
- Set performance measures to provide feedback in order to identify weaknesses
- Demonstrate that safety is an organizational priority so every employee feels empowered to report hazards
- Continue to learn from its experiences and improve safety protection
Organizations that promote a positive safety culture build strong defenses that prevent major accidents, which saves money. A safe environment also makes employees happier, and that leads to improved productivity across the board.
Want to learn how to build or improve your organization's safety culture?
Sign up for UNB's free webinar "Safety Culture Advancement in 10 (Not So) Easy Steps". Host Glyn Jones will discuss 10 steps you can take to improve the safety culture in your organization.