Total Safety Culture

Safety culture is the attitude, beliefs, perceptions and values that employees share in relation to safety in the workplace. Safety culture is a part of organizational culture, and has been described by the phrase "the way we do things around here". Most employers and employees in the area of safety will agree that the ultimate aim of a safety initiative is a “total safety culture”; however, this concept is rarely defined. A total safety culture is a culture in which:

a) Safety is integrated into all activities of the business as a ‘value ‘and not just a priority;

b) Individuals not only take responsibility for their own safety but safety of their co-workers also.

c) All level of employee is willing and able to act on their sense of responsibility – they can go beyond the call of duty’- a situation called ‘actively caring’’

Ten indicators of a ‘total safety culture’ are as follows:

1. Top management’s commitment that supports maintaining and improving behavioural safety,

2. Transparent communication exists between management and employee groups  about all aspects related to workplace Safety,

3. Active participation of employees in giving an open, feedback on safety improvement, which enables employees to consistently learn and grow.

4. A commitment to improving the profile of and attitude to health and safety, and increased employee engagement in safety.

5. An emphasis to correct on safe and unsafe behaviour and not a sole dependence on lagging indicators such as safety statistics, like LTIFR, SR etc

6. A strong, consistent, timely response to address the unsafe acts/condition-whether they result in injury or not.

7. Generally transparent and fair leadership from all, including managers, supervisors, and safety concerns are reflected in their action not only in words,

8. Awareness amongst all staff of different ways to consider or query human factors – how we do what we do, and why.

9. Workers themselves decide the goals and targets to be achieved in safety and they work together to achieve success.

10. Workers take participation in analysis of accident if any and same is analysed for fact findings with a view to avoid reoccurence.

Read next blog at www.safetitude.com to know how this culture is developed adopting Behaviour Based Safety as supplement to your existing safety system.