What is Safet

y Culture?

Theory, Research, Challenges

Valerie Barnes, PhD

Senior Technical Adviser in Human Factors

Off f l l h ffice o

f Nuclear Regulatory Researc

h
Overview

• History of safety culture theory History of safety culture theory• Definitions of safety culture • Whf li at safety culture is not

• Why do we care?

• Challenges for a common definition• Common definition goals Common definition goals
Roots of the Safety Culture Con

Roots of the Safety Culture Con

• Anthropology• Sociology• O i i l hl Organizational psyc

h

ology
Schein: Organizational Cult

Schein: Organizational Cult

•

“A pattern of A pattern of shared basic assumptions shared basic assumptions 

the group learned as it solved its proble

external adaptation and internal integraexternal adaptation and internal integra

that has worked well enough to be cons

valid and therefore to be taught to new valid and, therefore, to be taught to new

members as the correct way you percei

think and feel think, and feel in relation to those prob

in relation to those prob
Many Definitions of Safety Cu

Many Definitions of Safety Cu

• INSAG (1991) INSAG (1991)

- That assembly of That assembly of

characteristics and attitudes in organiza

and individuals which establishes that and individuals which establishes that, 

overriding priority, nuclear plant safety 

receive the attention warranted by theireceive the attention warranted by thei

significance.
UK Health & Safety Executive (1

UK Health

& Safety Executive (1

• The product of individual and group val

The product of individual and group val

attitudes, perceptions, competencies, a

patterns of behaviour that determine thpatterns of behaviour that determine th

commitment to, and the style and profi

of an organization of, an organization s’ health and safety health and safety

management.
Guldenmund (2000) Guldenmund (2000)

• Those aspects of the organisational cult

Those aspects of the organisational cult

which will impact on attitudes and beha

related to increasing or decreasing risk related to increasing or decreasing risk.

• Lists 16 additional definitions from othe

research studies research studies
Mearns, et al (2003) Mearns, et al (2003)

• Safety culture forms the environment 

Safety culture ... forms the environment 

which individual safety attitudes develo

persist and safety behaviours are promopersist and safety behaviours are promo
Von Thaden and Gibbons (20

Von Thaden and Gibbons (20

• Safety culture is defined as the endurin

Safety culture is defined as the endurin

and prioritization of worker and public 

by each member of each group and in eby each member of each group and in e

level of an organization.
Barnes (2009) Barnes (2009)

• The values attitudes motivations and The values, attitudes, motivations and

knowledge that affect the extent to wh

safety is emphasized over competing gosafety is emphasized over competing go

decisions and behavior.
What Safety Culture is No

What Safety Culture is No

• It s’ not separate or different from not separate or different from

organizational culture

• It s’ not a

“thing

” with an objective exist

with an objective exist

• It’s not a policy, program or procedure
Why Do We Care? Why Do We Care?

• Safety culture affects safety performanc

Safety culture affects safety performanc

– Injury rates– Accident rates Accident rates– Patient safety

• R bl t i d t i Reasonable suppor

t across in

dus

t

ries

– Aerospace, healthcare, manufacturing, 

const ti i lt ff truction, agriculture, off-sh il d ore oil an

d 

highway safety, maritime
Challenges to a Common Defin

Challenges to

a Common Defin

• Not all NRC Not all NRC

-regulated activities occur in regulated activities occur in

“organizations”

• NRC

-regulated activities are performed 

regulated activities are performed 

a wide range of industries

• D fi i i f f f / l 

D

efi

nition o

f sa

fety per

formance

/goals 

across industries
Challenges We Face Challenges We Face

• Majority of NRC Majority of NRC

-regulated activities do 

regulated activities do 

occur in large, stable organizations. Som

performed by performed by

–

– individuals working independently– very small groups very small groups– a single unit within a larger organization th

otherwise performs few or no nuclear safeotherwise performs few or no nuclear saferelated activities

– a rapidly changing workforce a rapidly changing workforce
Goals for Common Definitio

Goals for Common Definitio

• High level of detail (one sentence) High level of detail (one sentence)• Easy to understand• Appli bl f i 

licable across range o

f contexts in w

NRC-regulated activities are performed
February 2010 Workshop Re

February 2010 Workshop Re

•

Nuc ea Sa ety Cu tu e s t e co e a ues a 

lear Sa

fety Cultu

r

e i

s

t

h

e co

r

e v

alues

a

behaviors resulting from a collective commby leaders and individuals to emphasize saover competing goal 

s to ensure protection 

people and the environment. r Safety Cult

the core values and behaviors resulting frothe core values and behaviors resulting fro

collective commitment by leaders and indto em

p y p gg hasize safet

y over com

petin

g

goals 

ensure protection of people and the environment. 
Discussion