1

DEVELOPING A COMMON DEFINITION OF SAFETY CULTURE 

Breakout Topic 1: 

During this breakout session, panel members and breakout session participants will begin to develop a 

high-level, overarching definition of safety culture. The definition should be easy to understand, 

timeless, and inclusive (i.e., applicable to all NRC-regulated nuclear industry). Because it should not 

include detail, the definition should be limited in length to one or two sentences. 

Desired outcome: A draft definition of safety culture from each breakout group for the panelist(s) from 

that group to present and discuss at the next plenary session. 

The following definitions of safety culture are provided as examples: 

NRC’s draft policy statement defines safety culture as “that assembly of characteristics, attitudes, and 

behaviors in organizations and individuals which establishes that as an overriding priority, nuclear 

safety and security issues receive the attention warranted by their significance.’’ 

INPO’s definition defines safety culture as “an organization’s values and behaviors— modeled by its 

leaders and internalized by its members—that serve to make nuclear safety the overriding priority.” 

INSAG-4’s (and IAEA’s) definition of safety culture is “that assembly of characteristics and attitudes in 

organizations and individuals which establishes that as an overriding priority, nuclear plant safety 

issues receive the attention warranted by their significance.” 

Member of the Public (Mr. Collins): Definition of safety culture is “Professional leadership attitudes in a 

High Reliability Organization that ensure potentially hazardous activities are managed to maintain risk 

to people and the environment as low as reasonably achievable thereby maintaining stakeholder trust.”

The following questions are intended to stimulate thought and discussion for generating a common 

definition of safety culture. (Participants are not expected to provide specific answers to these 

questions.) 

Î Considering the thoughts presented by the panelists this morning, would you please provide a 

thought or two about what nuclear safety culture means to you? 

Î Considering NRC’s, INPO’s and IAEA’s definitions of safety culture, how could they be revised 

to better define safety culture in your type of work? How might a “better” definition of safety culture 

differ from the example definitions? 

Î How might the example definitions of safety culture be changed to better address the activities 

of individuals and small organizations as well as the activities of large organizations? 

Î When you think about safety culture within your type of work, how do you include the role that 

security plays in ensuring the safe use of nuclear materials, etc? 

Breakout Topic 1 (continued, as needed): 

During this breakout session, panelists and breakout session participants will continue to develop or to 

reach alignment on a high-level, overarching definition of safety culture. The same parameters apply: 

the definition should be easy to understand, timeless, and inclusive (i.e., applicable to all NRCregulated nuclear industry); and because it should not include detail, the definition should be limited in 

length to one or two sentences. 
 2

Breakout Session A produced three draft definitions that the panel members from each breakout 

session presented and discussed during the plenary session. The information for you to consider 

during this breakout session is based on the panel members’ efforts to compare, contrast, and combine 

the draft definitions. 

Desired outcome: Either (1) another draft definition of safety culture that combines the three definitions 

presented/discussed during the previous plenary session or (2) suggested revisions to the combined 

definition that the panelists developed. 

The following questions are intended to stimulate additional discussion on the definition of safety 

culture. 

Î What are the differences and similarities between the three draft definitions? 

Î How would you describe the differences, e.g., is word choice an issue (where some kind of 

common terminology could be developed) or more substantive? 

Î How can these definitions be revised/combined to develop an overarching definition that 

applies to all licensees/certificate holders? 

Î (If the panelists were able to combine the three definitions from the breakout sessions into a 

single draft definition during the plenary session) What additional changes would you make to the draft 

definition? 

Breakout Topic 1 (continued, as needed): 

During this breakout session, panelists and breakout session participants will continue working, if 

necessary, towards alignment on a high level, overarching definition of safety culture. The same 

parameters apply: the definition should be easy to understand, timeless, and inclusive (i.e., applicable 

to all NRC-regulated nuclear industry); and because it should not include detail, the definition should be 

limited in length to one or two sentences. 

Breakout Session A produced three draft definitions that the panel members provided to the 

reassembled panel in the first plenary session in order to determine where the definitions were similar 

and where they differ. During Breakout Session B, you considered the panel members’ efforts to 

compare, contrast, and combine the draft definitions or developed a combined definition for further 

discussion. The results of Breakout Session B were summarized by the panel members when the 

panel reassembled. During this session, you will continue working toward alignment on a definition of 

safety culture that is acceptable to you and, if necessary, to identify where alignment seems to be 

unattainable at this time. 

Desired outcome: Alignment on a definition of safety culture or a clear statement regarding the aspects 

of the definition on which alignment cannot be attained. 

The following questions are intended to stimulate additional discussion on the definition of safety 

culture. 

Î How easily would you be able to apply this draft definition to your type of work? 

Î What do you like most about the draft definition? 

Î With what aspects of this draft definition do you feel you can not agree? 

Î What aspects of a definition of safety culture do you feel are missing from this draft definition?