Safety Culture Continuous Learning and Improvement 

S i

Task Order 4: 

NRC Safety Culture Outreach Survey 

Supplement to Final Report 

January 15, 2015
Task Order 4: NRC Safety Culture Outreach Survey, Supplement to Final Report 

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Table of Contents 

Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................................................... 1 

Appendix A: Data Analysis Findings – NRC Licensees ............................................................................................................. 3 

Demographics of Respondents ......................................................................................................................................... 3 

Awareness of Safety Culture ............................................................................................................................................ 4 

Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products .................................................................................................................... 6 

Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach .............................................................................................. 9 

NRC Communications Support ....................................................................................................................................... 14 

Summary of Qualitative Feedback: ................................................................................................................................ 15 

Appendix B: Data Analysis Findings – Illinois ........................................................................................................................ 16 

Demographics of Respondents ....................................................................................................................................... 16 

Awareness of Safety Culture .......................................................................................................................................... 17 

Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products .................................................................................................................. 19 

Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach ............................................................................................ 21 

NRC Communications Support ....................................................................................................................................... 32 

Summary of Qualitative Feedback: ................................................................................................................................ 33 

Appendix C: Data Analysis Findings – Minnesota ................................................................................................................. 34 

Demographics of Respondents ....................................................................................................................................... 34 

Awareness of Safety Culture .......................................................................................................................................... 35 

Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products .................................................................................................................. 37 

Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach ............................................................................................ 39 

NRC Communications Support ....................................................................................................................................... 50 

Summary of Qualitative Feedback ................................................................................................................................. 51 

Appendix D: Data Analysis Findings – North Carolina .......................................................................................................... 52 

Demographics of Respondents ....................................................................................................................................... 52 

Awareness of Safety Culture .......................................................................................................................................... 52 

Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products .................................................................................................................. 55 

Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach ............................................................................................ 58 

NRC Communications Support ....................................................................................................................................... 69 

Summary of Qualitative Feedback ................................................................................................................................. 70 

Appendix E: Data Analysis Findings – Ohio ........................................................................................................................... 71 

Demographics of Respondents ....................................................................................................................................... 71 

Awareness of Safety Culture .......................................................................................................................................... 71 

Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products .................................................................................................................. 74 

Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach ............................................................................................ 76 

NRC Communications Support ....................................................................................................................................... 84
Task Order 4: NRC Safety Culture Outreach Survey, Supplement to Final Report 

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Summary of Qualitative Feedback ................................................................................................................................. 85 

Appendix F: Data Analysis Findings – Rhode Island .............................................................................................................. 86 

Demographics of Respondents ....................................................................................................................................... 86 

Awareness of Safety Culture .......................................................................................................................................... 87 

Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products .................................................................................................................. 88 

Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach ............................................................................................ 90 

NRC Communications Support ....................................................................................................................................... 91 

Summary of Qualitative Feedback ................................................................................................................................. 92 

Appendix G: Data Analysis Findings – Virginia ...................................................................................................................... 93 

Demographics of Respondents ....................................................................................................................................... 93 

Awareness of Safety Culture .......................................................................................................................................... 93 

Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products .................................................................................................................. 96 

Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach ............................................................................................ 98 

NRC Communications Support ..................................................................................................................................... 109 

Summary of Qualitative Feedback ............................................................................................................................... 110 

Appendix H: Data Analysis Findings – Washington ............................................................................................................. 111 

Demographics of Respondents ..................................................................................................................................... 111 

Awareness of Safety Culture ........................................................................................................................................ 112 

Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products ................................................................................................................ 114 

Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach .......................................................................................... 116 

NRC Communications Support ..................................................................................................................................... 127 

Summary of Quality Feedback ..................................................................................................................................... 128 

Appendix I: Data Analysis Findings – Wisconsin ................................................................................................................. 130 

Demographics of Respondents ..................................................................................................................................... 130 

Awareness of Safety Culture ........................................................................................................................................ 131 

Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products ................................................................................................................ 133 

Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach .......................................................................................... 135 

NRC Communications Support ..................................................................................................................................... 146 

Summary of Qualitative Feedback ............................................................................................................................... 147 

 
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Appendix A: Data Analysis Findings – NRC Licensees 

Demographics of Respondents 

This set of questions would identify respondents by the organization/state they are a licensee of, job position, and 

license(s) held. This information helps organize and analyze responses by subpopulation. 

Figure 1: Respondents by Position Title 

There were 364 total NRC licensee survey respondents. Out of 364 NRC licensees, over half of the survey respondents 

were Safety or Compliance Officers (61%) followed by Management (15%) and Technical Staff (10%). Those respondents 

who selected “Other” (9%) routinely identified their roles as some variation of Safety Officer or Management. 

Table 1: Survey Respondents by License Type 

Subpopulation by License Type* Number of Respondents 

Portable Gauge Licensee 184 

Fixed Gauge Licensee 79 

Industrial Radiography/Logging Licensee 46 

Irradiator Licensee 25 

Master Materials Licensee 15 

Medical Use Licensee 195 

Broad Scope Licensee 82 

R&D, Gas Chromatographs, and X-Ray Fluorescence Licensee 43 

Exempt Distribution Licensee 10 

Possession License for Manufacturing and Distribution 31 

Commercial Radiopharmacy Licensee 12 

Service Provider Licensee 23 

License for Special Nuclear Material of Less Than Critical Mass 14 

Spent Fuel Storage Licensee 8 

Fuel Cycle Facility Licensee 5 

Other 76 

(*As some licensees may hold multiple license types, above subpopulations are not mutually exclusive)
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Awareness of Safety Culture 

Awareness of Safety Culture survey questions sought to identify the respondents’ cognizance and knowledge of the NRC 

Safety Culture Policy Statement and educational and outreach materials on NRC’s website. With knowledge of these 

materials, respondents understand where to go for information. Three questions were asked to collect information on 

awareness (Survey Questions 4-6). The first question asks about self-awareness of the Safety Culture policy and the 

subsequent two questions ask for the respondent’s perception of management and staff awareness. 

Figure 2: Respondent Awareness of Safety Culture Policy 

A large majority of the respondents (88.6%) is aware of the NRC or their Agreement State’s policy on Safety Culture. This 

presents positive feedback in that the population surveyed is receiving some type of communication concerning the 

NRC’s or their State regulator’s policy. 

Figure 3: Management and Staff Awareness of Safety Culture Policy 
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In general, respondents perceived management awareness and staff awareness at their organizations similarly. When 

questioned, 42.3% of respondents thought most management was aware as compared to 38.7% that believed most staff 

was aware. When combining the “many” and “most” categories, over half of the respondents felt the majority of 

management and staff at their organizations were aware. Although this is positive feedback, a significant percentage of 

respondents, over 20%, believed only a few or some management and staff in their organizations were aware of Safety 

Culture policy. This may pose some concern and indicates there is room to increase the awareness of NRC and 

Agreement State policy. 

Respondents provided a lot of safety. One respondent stated that, “People need to be reminded that safety is there and 

everyone’s responsibility.” Another respondent said, “Reminders of specific safety issues is always useful. It brings 

certain issues into the forefront and refreshes everyone’s commitment to safety.” 
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Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products 

The distribution survey questions helped to understand how organizations access the NRC Safety Culture educational 

and outreach materials and help to understand how useful respondents find the NRC materials. Respondents were 

asked four questions concerning distribution to identify the methods by which their organizations receive Safety Culture 

information, determine how accessible Safety Culture information is, and how useful they find that information. This 

feedback can determine which methods are working as well as identify potential areas of improvement. 

Figure 4: Methods by Which Organizations Received Safety Culture Information 

Survey respondents noted most frequently that correspondence (such as emails and letters) was the method by which 

their organizations received Safety Culture information. Inspections was noted second most frequently. Several 

respondents stated they received further information and education from inspectors who visited their sites. One 

respondent said, “It is always helpful when an inspector or licensee staff guide you in Safety Culture in a positive 

manner.” 

Figure 5: Ease and Convenience of Accessing Safety Culture Information 
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Respondents provided their agreement level with the statement “It is easy and convenient to access information about 

Safety Culture from NRC or my State regulator.” A large majority (70.5%) agreed or strongly agreed with this statement. 

Approximately 30% were either neutral or did not find it easy and convenient to access Safety Culture information. 

Although the majority of responses were favorable, unfavorable and neutral responses suggest further efforts are 

necessary to educate a wider audience on the availability of Safety Culture information. It is necessary that information 

be accessible whenever needed. Much information is currently available via both the NRC’s and the State regulator’s 

websites. Further education and communication may further help make this known. 

Figure 6: Usefulness of Safety Culture Information Received 

Respondents provided their agreement level with the following statement “The information my organization has 
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received about Safety Culture is useful.” The majority (69.9%) agreed or strongly agreed the information was useful. 

Repeatedly, respondents stated the information was useful as an addition to training in place or as supplemental 

information for continual awareness. Despite this positive feedback, nearly a third of respondents were neutral or did 

not find the information useful. On specific occasions, respondents noted that the information was not useful because 

there was already a robust training or awareness program in place and, therefore, no additional or supplemental 

information was needed from NRC. One respondent provided the following explanation: 

“The company itself has a very developed plan for the Safety Culture. We have been owned by this 

particular company for ten years and with it came our EHS program with commitment cards which 

state a lot of the responsibilities noted in [the NRC’s] presentation. The Safety Culture is not new to me 

or my employees.” 

Respondents provided positive feedback regarding the NRC materials. They stated materials were easily accessible and 

useful to educate people and supplement current training programs. Respondents considered the NRC website a good 

source of information and regarded Inspections as a reinforcement of the safety messages, policies, and procedures. 

However, some respondents reported they have not received any information or materials from NRC or their State 

regulator, including website updates, brochures, emails, or case studies. 
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Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach 

These questions elicit an understanding respondents’ familiarity with various NRC Safety Culture educational and 

outreach materials, as well as how respondents rate certain characteristics of the products. Data was collected on 

several NRC specific products, including the NRC Safety Culture website, brochure, and case studies; as well as Safety 

Culture information available on the State regulator’s website. 

Figure 7: Safety Culture Products Familiar to Respondents 

When asked what Safety Culture products they were familiar with, respondents noted the NRC Safety Culture website 

most frequently (235). This was followed by the NRC Safety Culture brochure (136). Respondents were least familiar 

with the NRC Safety Culture case studies (44) and the State regulator’s website (21). Out of 364 total NRC license survey 

respondents, only 37% of respondents were familiar with the brochure and 12% familiar with the case studies. These 

figures indicate that communication within the NRC itself could be improved to educate personnel on the availability of 

products especially the brochure and the case studies. Several respondents stated that NRC materials were useful in 

educating their employees and supplementing their current training programs. Some respondents reported they had 

very mature and well developed Safety Culture programs in place so there was not much need for support from NRC. 

Some operations identified themselves as smaller and not warranting too much assistance. Some were unable to 

understand the highly technical information on brochures, case studies and websites. 
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NRC Safety Culture Website 

Figure 8: NRC Safety Culture Website Summary 

Of the 364 NRC licensees that participated in the survey, 232 answered questions relating to the NRC’s Safety Culture 

website. The majority responded favorably when asked about the NRC website. Most respondents reported that the 

NRC website was very user friendly, easy to find, up-to-date, and informative. Additional comments revealed that 

respondents found the website fast loading, well-designed, and easy to access. Few respondents noted improvements 

that could enhance the existing site. They wanted more case studies, clickable squares, and automatic email 

notifications when new features or information is added to the website or content is updated. 

NRC Safety Culture Brochure 

Figure 9: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Summary Chart (1 of 2) 

Figure 10: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Summary Chart (2 of 2) 
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Of the 364 total NRC licensee respondents, 133 answered questions pertaining to the NRC’s Safety Culture Brochure. 

Most respondents reported that the NRC safety brochure was well-developed, appropriately detailed, informative, easy 

to find, and clear, logical, and easy to follow. Respondents consistently noted the brochure was utilized for various 

meetings and training purposes. The majority found the brochure to be clear, logical, and easy to follow (91.6%) and 

informative (89.4%). Despite this, feedback was reported the brochure needed more explanation and/or simplification. 

There was concern that the brochure language was rather technical in nature and could be simplified for people, other 

than the experts, to be able to use it for informational and educational purposes. 

One survey question about the brochure yielded less positive feedback in comparison to the consistently positive 

feedback from other questions. When asked if the NRC Safety Culture brochure was engaging, only 68.2% responded 

favorably and 28.8% responded neutral. The percentage of favorable responses was much lower when compared to the 

results of all other brochure characteristics (informative, easy to find, etc.). This shows that even though respondents 

found the brochure easy to follow and appropriately detailed, improvement can be made to make the brochures more 

engaging. 
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NRC Safety Culture Case Studies 

Figure 11: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Summary Chart (1 of 2) 

Figure 12: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Summary Chart (2 of 2) 

Of the 364 NRC licensees that participated in the survey, 43 responded to questions pertaining to the NRC’s Safety 

Culture case studies. Most respondents appreciated the case studies and said they used them for training and 

informational purposes. Over 90% favorably found the case studies to be informative, practical, and clear, logical, and 

easy to follow. As was the case with the NRC’s Safety Culture brochure feedback, a smaller percentage of respondents 

(69.8%) found the case studies engaging and a higher percentage (25.6%) replied neutral in comparison to the other 

case studies characteristics. This shows that even though respondents found the case studies easy to follow and 

informative, improvements can be made to make the brochures more engaging. 

It is important to remember that significantly fewer survey respondents stated they were familiar with the case studies 
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in comparison to other Safety Culture products. Only 43 of 364 survey respondents answered questions pertaining to 

the case studies. Few respondents suggested more examples and more specific case studies (e.g. with specific 

radioactive cases) be developed because they did not find the current ones applicable to their daily work. This provides 

an opportunity to increase the awareness and utilization of case studies. 

State regulator Website Safety Culture Information 

Figure 13: State regulator’s Website Feedback Summary 

Of the 364 NRC licensee participants, only 21 answered questions pertaining to Safety Culture information on the State 

regulator’s website. Majority of respondents found their State regulator’s website to be user friendly, easy to find, upto-date, and informative. Over 90% of felt the information on their State regulators’ websites was up-to-date. The 

limited number of survey respondents for questions concerning Safety Culture information on the State regulator’s 

website is likely due to this group being NRC license holders and therefore this question is less relevant or not 

applicable. In contrast, several respondents commented their State regulator websites were difficult to navigate and not 

user friendly. 
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NRC Communications Support 

This set of questions help assess whether organizations are satisfied with the level and quality of NRC communications 

and how NRC or the State regulator can improve communications for enhancing Safety Culture. Three questions were 

included to obtain data concerning NRC support. 

Figure 14: Level of Satisfaction with Level of Communications 

When asked overall if the respondent’s organization is satisfied with the level of communications that it has received 

concerning Safety Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement, nearly 66% of respondents replied favorably. When 

combining the neutral and unfavorable responses, 34% of respondents were not satisfied. This indicates room for 

improvement. Respondents would like to see more consistent communications and more readily available information 

concerning 

However, there were some respondents who reported that they have not received any information from NRC or have 

not heard anything about Safety Culture. Several respondents stated that this survey was the first time they had been 

made aware there was even a Safety Culture policy. Some were unable to understand the technical nature of the 

communications. This brings an issue to the surface that communications are not reaching all intended parties. 

Figure 15: Level of Satisfaction with Quality of Communications 
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Respondents were also asked their level of satisfaction with the quality of communications received about Safety 

Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement. Remaining consistent with the above mentioned survey question, over 

68% responded favorably, 24% indicated neutral and nearly 8% responded unfavorably. Concerning quality of 

communications, room for improvement remains. 

Summary of Qualitative Feedback: • Send regular updates (if any ) to RSO 

• Address safety culture in a positive manner 

• Improve dissemination of data and information 
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Appendix B: Data Analysis Findings – Illinois 

Demographics of Respondents 

This set of questions would identify respondents by the organization/state they are a licensee of, job position, and 

license(s) held. This information helps organize and analyze responses by subpopulation. 

Figure 16: Respondents by Position Title 

There were a total of 91 survey respondents who identified themselves as Illinois license holders. Over half identified 

themselves as Safety or Compliance Officers. Management, Technical Staff, and “Other” were the next most chosen 

positions. Over a third of respondents hold Medical Use Licenses. 

Table 2: Survey Respondents by License Type 

Subpopulation by License Type* Number of Respondents 

Portable Gauge Licensee 14 

Fixed Gauge Licensee 5 

Industrial Radiography/Logging Licensee 6 

Irradiator Licensee 1 

Master Materials Licensee 2 

Medical Use Licensee 34 

Broad Scope Licensee 8 

Research and Development, Gas Chromatographs, 

and X-Ray Fluorescence Licensee 

8 

Exempt Distribution Licensee 0 

Possession License for Manufacturing and 

Distribution 

2 

Commercial Radiopharmacy Licensee 3 

Service Provider Licensee 4 

License for Special Nuclear Material of Less Than 

Critical Mass 

2 

Spent Fuel Storage Licensee 1 

Fuel Cycle Facility Licensee 0 

Other 13 
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(*As some licensees may hold multiple license types, above subpopulations are not mutually exclusive) 

Awareness of Safety Culture 

Awareness of Safety Culture survey questions sought to identify the respondents’ cognizance and knowledge of the NRC 

Safety Culture Policy Statement and educational and outreach materials on NRC’s website. With knowledge of these 

materials, respondents are educated on where to go for information. Three questions were asked to collect information 

on awareness (Survey Questions 4-6). The first question asks about self-awareness of the Safety Culture policy and the 

subsequent two questions ask for the respondent’s perception of management and staff awareness. 

Figure 17: Respondent Awareness of Safety Culture Policy 

A large majority of the respondents (87.5%) is aware of the NRC or their Agreement State’s policy on Safety Culture. 

Several respondents noted that this survey was the first they had heard of Safety Culture policy. This presents positive 

feedback overall in that the population surveyed is receiving some type of communication concerning the NRC’s or their 

State regulator’s policy. 

Figure 18: Management Awareness of Safety Culture Policy 

Figure 19: Staff Awareness of Safety Culture Policy W License Type 
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In general, respondents perceived management and staff awareness at their organizations similarly. When questioned, 

over half of the respondents felt many or most of the management and staff at their organizations were aware. This 

feedback is relatively positive but there is a rather large percentage of respondents (over one-third) who only perceive 

that few or some of the management and staff are aware of Safety Culture policy. This may pose some concern and 

indicates there is room to increase the awareness of NRC and Agreement State policy. This may indicate that Safety 

Culture awareness is not readily discussed and therefore respondents assume others are unaware as a result. 
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Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products 

The distribution survey questions helped to understand how organizations access the NRC Safety Culture educational 

and outreach materials and help to understand how useful respondents find the NRC materials. Respondents were 

asked four questions concerning distribution to identify the methods by which their organizations receive Safety Culture 

information, determine how accessible Safety Culture information is, and how useful they find that information. This 

feedback can determine which methods are working as well as identify potential areas of improvement. 

Figure 20: Methods by Which Organizations Received Safety Culture Information 

Survey respondents noted most frequently that correspondence (such as emails and letters), inspections, and the State 

regulator’s website were the methods by which their organizations received Safety Culture information. 

Figure 21: Ease and Convenience of Accessing Safety Culture Information 
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Respondents provided their agreement level with the statement “It is easy and convenient to access information about 

Safety Culture from NRC or my State regulator.” A large majority (72.5%) of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with 

this statement. Approximately one-quarter of respondents were either neutral or did not find it easy and convenient to 

access Safety Culture information. Several respondents felt the State regulator’s website it was “difficult to find 

information” and “unfriendly.” One respondent stated “at times it's hard to reach the local NRC office because our 

contact only works part time.” Conversely, one respondent said the “State regulatory agency does a good job of 

managing and organiz[ing] safety information.” Although the majority of responses were favorable, unfavorable and 

neutral responses suggest further efforts are necessary to educate a wider audience on the availability of Safety Culture 

information. 

Figure 22: Usefulness of Safety Culture Information Received 

Respondents provided their agreement level with the following statement “The information my organization has 

received about Safety Culture is useful.” The majority (over 65%) agreed or strongly agreed the information was useful. 

Repeatedly, respondents stated the information was useful as an addition to an existing training program or as 

supplemental information for continual awareness. One respondent said his organization put new processes in place, 

including checklists, because of Safety Culture awareness. One respondent stated, “It was suggested by the NRC that we 

embrace Safety Culture. We hired a well-experienced consultant...We have found Safety Culture very useful, most 

employees now know about it.” Despite this positive feedback, over a third of respondents were neutral or did not find 

the information useful. On specific occasions, respondents noted that the information was not useful because there was 

already a robust training or awareness program in place and, therefore, no additional or supplemental information was 

needed from NRC. 
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Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach 

These questions focus on understanding respondents’ familiarity with various NRC Safety Culture educational and 

outreach materials, as well as how respondents rate certain characteristics of the products. Data was collected on 

several NRC specific products, including the NRC Safety Culture website, brochure, and case studies; as well as Safety 

Culture information available on the State regulator’s website. 

Figure 23: Safety Culture Products Familiar to Respondents 

When asked what Safety Culture products they were familiar with, respondents noted the NRC’s Safety Culture website 

most frequently followed by their State regulator’s website. 

NRC Safety Culture Website 

Figure 24: NRC Safety Culture Website Is User Friendly 

Figure 25: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Easy to Find 
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Figure 26: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Up-to-Date 

Figure 27: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Informative 
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Of the 91 Illinois licensee survey participants, 45 answered questions regarding the NRC’s Safety Culture website. 

Overall, majority of the respondents found the NRC website to be user friendly, easy to find, up-to-date, and 

informative. One respondent stated “We have used it several times and intend to continue using it. We like the Trait 

Talks.” There was a noticeable percentage of respondents who felt neutral when asked about NRC Safety Culture 

website characteristics. 

NRC Safety Culture Brochure 

Figure 28: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Clear, Logical, and Easy to Follow 

Figure 29: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Easy to Find 
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Figure 30: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Informative 

Figure 31: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Appropriately Detailed 
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Figure 32: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Engaging 

Figure 33: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Helpful 
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Of the 91 Illinois licensee participants, 23 answered questions pertaining to the NRC’s Safety Culture brochure. Most 

respondents reported that the NRC safety brochure was helpful, appropriately detailed, informative, easy to find, and 

clear, logical, and easy to follow. Respondents consistently noted the brochure was utilized for various meetings and 

training purposes. One respondent stated “As written, [the brochure] is complete and easy to understand...[It] can be 

used during the rad safety training sessions...” The overwhelming majority (87%) found the brochure easy to find. 

Despite this, a few respondents reported the brochure needed more explanation and/or simplification. One respondent 

suggested being more specific to type of use and activities involved. 

One survey question about the brochure yielded less positive feedback in comparison to the consistently positive 

feedback from other questions. When asked if the NRC Safety Culture brochure was engaging, only 63.7% responded 

favorably. This figure is much lower when compared to the favorable results of all other brochure characteristics (The 

next lowest was 72.3% who responded favorably to the brochure being appropriately detailed.) This shows that even 

though respondents found the brochure easy to follow and helpful, and informative, improvement can be made to make 

the brochures more engaging. 

NRC Safety Culture Case Studies 

Figure 34: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Clear, Logical, and Easy to Follow 

Figure 35: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Easy to Find 
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Figure 36: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Informative 

Figure 37: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Appropriately Detailed 
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Figure 38: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Engaging 

Figure 39: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Practical 
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Figure 40: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Helpful 

Of the 91 Illinois licensees, only ten responded to questions concerning the NRC Safety Culture case studies. For most 

questions, favorably responses were at 80-90% as the respondents found the case studies easy to find, informative, 

helpful, appropriately detailed, and clear, logical, and easy to follow. One respondent said further details and follow up 

would be helpful. There were two exceptions where respondents were responding slightly less favorable, concerning the 

case studies being engaging and practical. One respondent said he was: 

“Not sure about ‘Safety Culture’ case studies. We have found useful the correspondence about recent 

incidents and action taken. We have used these to reference at our yearly safety meetings. When we felt 

that the information was particularly appropriate to our own program, we made copies to distribute to our 

gauge users and management.”
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State Regulator Website Safety Culture Information 

Figure 41: State Regulator's Website Is User Friendly 

Figure 42: State Regulator's Website Is Easy to Find 

Figure 43: State Regulator's Website Is Up-to-Date 
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Figure 44: State Regulator's Website Is Informative 

Of the 91 total Illinois respondents, 35 answered questions pertaining to the State regulator’s website. Majority of 

respondents, over 70%, found their State regulator’s website to be up-to-date and informative. A noticeable portion of 

respondents (23-36%) felt neutral when asked about the State regulator’s website. One participant who responded 

neutral to all questions pertaining to the State regulator’s website, said “I have noticed the Safety Culture info but only 

looked at it briefly and did not take much notice other than to determine it was in close alignment with our existing 

internal policies.” Several respondents noted that the website was “very unfriendly” and others stated it was difficult to 

find information on the website. 
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NRC Communications Support 

This set of questions help assess whether organizations are satisfied with the level and quality of NRC communications 

and how NRC or the State regulator can improve communications for enhancing Safety Culture. Three questions were 

included to obtain data concerning NRC support. 

Figure 45: Level of Satisfaction with Level of Communications 

When asked overall if the respondent’s organization is satisfied with the level of communications that it has received 

concerning Safety Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement, over 64% of respondents replied favorably. When 

combining the neutral and unfavorable responses, over 45% of respondents were indifferent or not satisfied. This 

indicates room for improvement. Few respondents remarked “This survey is the first we have heard of it.” One 

respondent suggested “periodic reminders and updates, signup for the notification of Safety Culture and Policy 

changes.” 

“This survey is a good idea. But the agencies need to be careful to balance the messages coming out so licensees don't 

get distracted from other priorities including those the agencies are stressing via other forums.” 

Figure 46: Level of Satisfaction with Quality of Communications 
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Respondents were also asked their level of satisfaction with the quality of communications received about Safety 

Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement. Remaining consistent with the above mentioned survey question, 

nearly 60% responded favorably, 31% indicated neutral and nearly 9% responded unfavorably. Concerning quality of 

communications, there is some room for improvement. 

Summary of Qualitative Feedback:

• Difficult to find information on the website, website is “very unfriendly” 

• Increase awareness of safety, serve as positive reinforcement to our safety program 

• Reminders for safety issues are useful, “It brings certain issues into the forefront and refreshes everyone’s 

commitment to safety”, “nuclear Safety Culture as the core of values and behaviors setting goals to ensure 

protection of people and the environment”, was very helpful in development of Radiation Accidents 

Policy/Procedure 

• “State regulatory agency does a good job of managing and organization of safety information” 

• “Our CEO has worked energetically over several years to institute an organization wide Safety Culture.” We have 

our own safety program, strong internal mechanism for all types of laboratory safety, “Safety Culture statement 

and philosophy was in agreement with our own” 

• Received different emails concerning Safety Council 

• Added “check list” to our work process to ensure that all necessary checks are made every time a procedure is 

carried out 

• “Working on become accredited through the Joint Commission and seek information often. Our culture at FHN 

is centered-around patient safety...” 

• Good general basic information which goes well with patient care and serves as good reminders 

• “Learnt a lot about safety from this survey” 

• “I’m the compliance and regulatory administrator. I research and present safety information to our team at our 

monthly safety meetings” 

• “It was suggested by the NRC that we embrace Safety Culture. We hired a well-experienced consultant... We 

have found Safety Culture very useful, most employees now know about it” 

• Received brochures, handouts, posters displayed them on employee boards, reinforce our own training, 

“vigilant in our participation and application of training program” 

• Few respondents reported that they did not know about the Safety Culture 
Task Order 4: NRC Safety Culture Outreach Survey, Supplement to Final Report 

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Appendix C: Data Analysis Findings – Minnesota 

Demographics of Respondents 

This set of questions would identify respondents by the organization/state they are a licensee of, job position, and 

license(s) held. This information helps organize and analyze responses by subpopulation. 

Figure 47: Respondents by Position Title 

There were a total of 29 survey respondents who identified themselves as Minnesota license holders. Over 75% 

identified themselves as Safety or Compliance Officers and 10% were Management. Among the 29 respondents, nine 

held Medical Use Licenses and nine held Portable Gauge licenses. 

Table 3: Survey Respondents by License Type 

Subpopulation by License Type* Number of Respondents 

Portable Gauge Licensee 9 

Fixed Gauge Licensee 3 

Industrial Radiography/Logging Licensee 2 

Irradiator Licensee 0 

Master Materials Licensee 0 

Medical Use Licensee 9 

Broad Scope Licensee 2 

Research and Development, Gas Chromatographs, and 

X-Ray Fluorescence Licensee 

0 

Exempt Distribution Licensee 0 

Possession License for Manufacturing and Distribution 0 

Commercial Radiopharmacy Licensee 1 

Service Provider Licensee 0 

License for Special Nuclear Material of Less Than Critical 

Mass 

1 

Spent Fuel Storage Licensee 0 

Fuel Cycle Facility Licensee 0 

Other 3 

(*As some licensees may hold multiple license types, above subpopulations are not mutually exclusive)
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Awareness of Safety Culture 

Awareness of Safety Culture survey questions sought to identify the respondents’ cognizance and knowledge of the NRC 

Safety Culture Policy Statement and educational and outreach materials on NRC’s website. With knowledge of these 

materials, respondents understand where to go for information. Three questions were asked to collect information on 

awareness (Survey Questions 4-6). The first question asks about self-awareness of the safety culture policy and the 

subsequent two questions ask for the respondent’s perception of management and staff awareness. 

Figure 48: Respondent Awareness of Safety Culture Policy 

A large majority of the respondents (82.8%) replied they were aware of the NRC or their Agreement State’s policy on 

Safety Culture. 

Figure 49: Management Awareness of Safety Culture Policy 

Figure 50: Staff Awareness of Safety Culture Policy W License Type 
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In general, respondents perceived management and staff awareness at their organizations similarly. Respondents were 

relatively split when asked their perception about staff and management awareness. Approximately 41% of respondents 

thought many or most management was aware while nearly 45% thought only few or some. The same was true for 

perceived staff awareness. There is also a large discrepancy when comparing what the survey respondents stated their 

own awareness was in comparison to their perception of the staff and management awareness. This may indicate that 

safety culture awareness is not readily discussed and therefore respondents assume others are unaware as a result. 
Task Order 4: NRC Safety Culture Outreach Survey, Supplement to Final Report 

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Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products 

The distribution survey questions helped to understand how organizations access the NRC safety culture educational 

and outreach materials and help to understand how useful respondents find the NRC materials. Respondents were 

asked four questions concerning distribution to identify the methods by which their organizations receive safety culture 

information, determine how accessible safety culture information is, and how useful they find that information. This 

feedback can determine which methods are working as well as identify potential areas of improvement. 

Figure 51: Methods by Which Organizations Received Safety Culture Information 

Survey respondents noted most frequently that their State regulator’s website, inspections and the NRC’s Safety Culture 

website were methods by which their organizations received safety culture information. 

Figure 52: Ease and Convenience of Accessing Safety Culture Information 
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Respondents provided their agreement level with the statement “It is easy and convenient to access information about 

Safety Culture from NRC or my State regulator.” More than half of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed with this 

statement. Although that is positive, nearly 45% of respondents were neutral. This suggests further efforts are necessary 

to educate a wider audience on the availability of safety culture information. 

Figure 53: Usefulness of Safety Culture Information Received 

Respondents provided their agreement level with the following statement “The information my organization has 

received about Safety Culture is useful.” The majority (nearly 60%) agreed or strongly agreed the information was useful. 

Respondents stated the information was useful as it was supplemental to training in place. One respondent said his 

organization put new processes in place, including checklists, because of safety culture awareness. Despite this positive 

feedback, over 40% of respondents were neutral or strongly disagreed the information useful. A couple respondents 

noted they were unaware there was any Safety Culture information until completing this survey. 
Task Order 4: NRC Safety Culture Outreach Survey, Supplement to Final Report 

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Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach 

These questions help elicit an understanding respondents’ familiarity with various NRC safety culture educational and 

outreach materials, as well as how respondents rate certain characteristics of the products. Data was collected on 

several NRC specific products, including the NRC Safety Culture website, brochure, and case studies; as well as safety 

culture information available on the State regulator’s website. 

Figure 54: Safety Culture Products Familiar to Respondents 

When asked what safety culture products they were familiar with, respondents noted the NRC’s Safety Culture website, 

the State regulator’s website, and the NRC’s Safety Culture brochure most frequently. 

NRC Safety Culture Website 

Figure 55: NRC Safety Culture Website Is User Friendly 

Figure 56: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Easy to Find 
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Figure 57: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Up-to-Date 

Figure 58: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Informative 
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Of the 29 Minnesota licensee respondents, 15 answered questions pertaining to the NRC’s Safety Culture website. 

Majority of the respondents found the NRC website to be user friendly, easy to find, up-to-date, and informative. 

NRC Safety Culture Brochure 

Figure 59: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Clear, Logical, and Easy to Follow 

Figure 60: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Easy to Find 
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Figure 61: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Informative 

Figure 62: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Appropriately Detailed 
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Figure 63: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Engaging 

Figure 64: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Helpful 
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Of the 29 Minnesota licensee respondents, eight answered questions related to the NRC’s Safety Culture brochure. 

Nearly 90% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed the brochure was informative. Over 60% of respondents reported 

that the NRC safety brochure was helpful, appropriately detailed, informative, easy to find, and clear, logical, and easy to 

follow. 12.5% of respondents strongly disagreed with all the aforementioned brochure characteristics. 

One survey question about the brochure yielded less positive feedback in comparison to the consistently positive 

feedback from other questions. When asked if the NRC Safety Culture brochure was engaging, only 37.5% of 

respondents replied favorably. 

NRC Safety Culture Case Studies 

Figure 65: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Clear, Logical, and Easy to Follow 

Figure 66: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Easy to Find 
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Figure 67: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Informative 

Figure 68: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Appropriately Detailed 
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Figure 69: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Engaging 

Figure 70: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Practical 
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Figure 71: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Helpful 

Of the 29 Minnesota licensees, only two responded to questions concerning the NRC Safety Culture case studies. For 

most questions, both respondents agreed the case studies were helpful, engaging, appropriately detailed, informative, 

and clear, logical, and easy to follow. The respondents did not feel the case studies were easy to find. 
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State Regulator Website Safety Culture Information 

Figure 72: State Regulator's Website Is User Friendly 

Figure 73: State Regulator's Website Is Easy to Find 

Figure 74: State Regulator's Website Is Up-to-Date 
Task Order 4: NRC Safety Culture Outreach Survey, Supplement to Final Report 

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Figure 75: State Regulator's Website Is Informative 

Of the 29 Minnesota licensee respondents, nine answered questions pertaining to the State regulator’s website. 

Majority of respondents, found their State regulator’s website to be user friendly and informative. Over half the 

respondents found the State regulator’s website to be up-to-date while nearly 45% were neutral. Only 44% of 

respondents agreed the website was easy to find while over 22% disagreed. 
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NRC Communications Support 

This set of questions help assess whether organizations are satisfied with the level and quality of NRC communications 

and how NRC or the State regulator can improve communications for enhancing Safety Culture. Three questions were 

included to obtain data concerning NRC support. 

Figure 76: Level of Satisfaction with Level of Communications 

When asked overall if the respondent’s organization is satisfied with the level of communications that it has received 

concerning Safety Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement, over half responded favorably. 

Figure 77: Level of Satisfaction with Quality of Communications 

Respondents were also asked their level of satisfaction with the quality of communications received about Safety 

Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement. Remaining consistent with the above mentioned survey question, 48% 
Task Order 4: NRC Safety Culture Outreach Survey, Supplement to Final Report 

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responded favorably, nearly 41% indicated neutral and over 11% responded unfavorably. Concerning quality of 

communications, there is some significant room for improvement. 

Summary of Qualitative Feedback:

• Some respondents reported that they had no prior knowledge of policy implementation, not received any 

information and they tried in vain to locate it on the Minnesota website 

• “Use information with staff in annual refresher training to work safely with radioactive material” 

• “Do not use radioactive materials Safety Culture info we do take care in fostering appropriate Safety Culture for 

a heavy industrial setting...” 

• “It is always helpful when an inspector or license staff guide you in Safety Culture in a positive manner”, “the 

officials have always kept us up to date on safety issues and the changes that are coming”, “the information 

keeps us aware and up to date” 

• “Have not received anything from Minnesota Dept. of Health regarding this”, “once I heard about it, I was able 

to find all of the info. I just feel it took a long time for Agreement States to get the word out” 

• “Continue what you’re doing”. “I have found it to be useful”. It is concise and well stated, it reinforces common 

practices and guidelines for reducing radiation exposure to staff and public and safekeeping of radioactive 

material” 

• “Send correspondences via email, update, pamphlets, etc.” 

• “Send regular updates to RSO” 

• “We hired a consultant that had previous experience with NRC and the Safety Culture and he provided 

information. We have found Safety Culture to be very useful in our organization...” 

 
Task Order 4: NRC Safety Culture Outreach Survey, Supplement to Final Report 

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Appendix D: Data Analysis Findings – North Carolina 

Demographics of Respondents 

This set of questions would identify respondents by the organization/state they are a licensee of, job position, and 

license(s) held. This information helps organize and analyze responses by subpopulation. 

Figure 78: Respondents by Position Title 

There were a total of 73 North Carolina licensees that participated in the survey. Of the 73, 66% identified themselves as 

Safety or Compliance Officers and 19% as Management. Among the 73 respondents, eleven held Industrial Radiography 

licenses, 17 held Medical Use licenses and 12 held Broad Scope licenses. 

Table 4: Survey Respondents by License Type 

Subpopulation by License Type* Number of Respondents 

Portable Gauge Licensee 10 

Fixed Gauge Licensee 7 

Industrial Radiography/Logging Licensee 11 

Irradiator Licensee 6 

Master Materials Licensee 0 

Medical Use Licensee 17 

Broad Scope Licensee 12 

Research and Development, Gas Chromatographs, and X-Ray 

Fluorescence Licensee 

6 

Exempt Distribution Licensee 1 

Possession License for Manufacturing and Distribution 5 

Commercial Radiopharmacy Licensee 2 

Service Provider Licensee 5 

License for Special Nuclear Material of Less Than Critical Mass 1 

Spent Fuel Storage Licensee 0 

Fuel Cycle Facility Licensee 0 

Other 11 

(*As some licensees may hold multiple license types, above subpopulations are not mutually exclusive) 

Awareness of Safety Culture 

Awareness of Safety Culture survey questions sought to identify the respondents’ cognizance and knowledge of the NRC 
Task Order 4: NRC Safety Culture Outreach Survey, Supplement to Final Report 

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Safety Culture Policy Statement and educational and outreach materials on NRC’s website. With knowledge of these 

materials, respondents understand where to go for information. Three questions were asked to collect information on 

awareness (Survey Questions 4-6). The first question asks about self-awareness of the Safety Culture policy and the 

subsequent two questions ask for the respondent’s perception of management and staff awareness. 

Figure 79: Respondent Awareness of Safety Culture Policy 

Over 91% of the North Carolina licensee respondents said they were aware of the NRC or their Agreement State’s policy 

on Safety Culture. Several respondents noted that this survey was the first they had heard of Safety Culture policy. This 

presents positive feedback overall in that the population surveyed is receiving some type of communication concerning 

the NRC’s or their State regulator’s policy. 

Figure 80: Management Awareness of Safety Culture Policy 

Figure 81: Staff Awareness of Safety Culture Policy W License Type 
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Respondents perceived management and staff awareness at their organizations similarly. When questioned, over 60% of 

respondents felt many or most of the management and staff at their organizations were aware of Safety Culture policy. 

Under 20% of respondents perceived that only a few or some of the staff and management at their organization to be 

aware. There is a large discrepancy when we compare what the survey respondents state their own awareness to be to 

their perception of the population’s awareness at their organization. This may indicate that Safety Culture awareness is 

not readily discussed and therefore respondents assume others are unaware as a result. 
Task Order 4: NRC Safety Culture Outreach Survey, Supplement to Final Report 

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Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products 

The distribution survey questions helped to understand how organizations access the NRC Safety Culture educational 

and outreach materials and help to understand how useful respondents find the NRC materials. Respondents were 

asked four questions concerning distribution to identify the methods by which their organizations receive Safety Culture 

information, determine how accessible Safety Culture information is, and how useful they find that information. This 

feedback can determine which methods are working as well as identify potential areas of improvement. 

Figure 82: Methods by Which Organizations Received Safety Culture Information 

Survey respondents noted most frequently that correspondence (such as emails and letters), inspections, and the State 

regulator’s website were the methods by which their organizations received Safety Culture information. Respondents 

gave positive feedback concerning the inspectors, one stated “It is always helpful when an inspector or licensing staff 

guide you in Safety Culture in a positive manner.” 

Figure 83: Ease and Convenience of Accessing Safety Culture Information 
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Respondents provided their agreement level with the statement “It is easy and convenient to access information about 

Safety Culture from NRC or my State regulator.” Over 80% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with this 

statement. Less than 20% respondents were either neutral or did not find it easy and convenient to access Safety 

Culture information. Although the majority of responses were favorable, unfavorable and neutral responses suggest 

further efforts are necessary to educate a wider audience on the availability of Safety Culture information. 

Figure 84: Usefulness of Safety Culture Information Received 

Respondents provided their agreement level with the following statement “The information my organization has 

received about Safety Culture is useful.” The majority of respondents (over 80%) agreed or strongly agreed the 

information was useful. Repeatedly, respondents stated the information was useful as an addition to training in place or 

as supplemental information for continual awareness. One respondent said his organization put new processes in place, 

including checklists, because of Safety Culture awareness. One respondent stated “It was suggested by the NRC that we 

embrace Safety Culture. We hired a well-experienced consultant...We have found Safety Culture very useful, most 

employees now know about it.” Despite this positive feedback, over one fourth of respondents were neutral or did not 
Task Order 4: NRC Safety Culture Outreach Survey, Supplement to Final Report 

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find the information useful. On specific occasions, respondents noted that the information was not useful because there 

was already a robust training or awareness program in place and, therefore, no additional or supplemental information 

was needed from NRC. Several respondents noted they had not received information concerning Safety Culture until this 

survey. 
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Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach 

These questions elicit an understanding respondents’ familiarity with various NRC Safety Culture educational and 

outreach materials, as well as how respondents rate certain characteristics of the products. Data was collected on 

several NRC specific products, including the NRC Safety Culture website, brochure, and case studies; as well as Safety 

Culture information available on the State regulator’s website. 

Figure 85: Safety Culture Products Familiar to Respondents 

When asked what Safety Culture products they were familiar with, respondents noted Safety Culture information on 

their State regulator’s website most frequently then followed by NRC’s Safety Culture website. 

NRC Safety Culture Website 

Figure 86: NRC Safety Culture Website Is User Friendly 

Figure 87: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Easy to Find 
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Figure 88: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Up-to-Date 

Figure 89: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Informative 
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Of the 73 North Carolina licensee survey respondents, 35 responded to questions pertaining to the NRC’s Safety Culture 

website. The majority of respondents found the NRC website to be user friendly, easy to find, up-to-date, and 

informative. One respondent stated “We have used it several times and intend to continue using it. We like the Trait 

Talks.” There was a noticeable percentage of respondents who felt neutral when asked about NRC Safety Culture 

website characteristics. One respondent noted that the website was not easy to find. Conversely, another respondent 

said it was “good to see a link to the Safety Culture information on the main website front page.” 

NRC Safety Culture Brochure 

Figure 90: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Clear, Logical, and Easy to Follow 

Figure 91: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Easy to Find 
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Figure 92: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Informative 

Figure 93: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Appropriately Detailed 
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Figure 94: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Engaging 

Figure 95: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Helpful 
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Of the 73 total North Carolina licensees surveyed, 20 answered questions pertaining to the NRC’s Safety Culture 

brochure. Respondents reported that the NRC safety brochure was helpful, appropriately detailed, informative, easy to 

find, and clear, logical, and easy to follow. Respondents consistently noted the brochure was utilized for various 

meetings and training purposes. One respondent stated “As written, [the brochure] is complete and easy to 

understand...” Respondents responded less favorably when asked about the brochure being engage as 40% responded 

neutral. This indicates that improvement can be made to the brochure’s engaging quality. 

NRC Safety Culture Case Studies 

Figure 96: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Clear, Logical, and Easy to Follow 

Figure 97: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Easy to Find 
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Figure 98: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Informative 

Figure 99: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Appropriately Detailed 
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Figure 100: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Engaging 

Figure 101: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Practical 
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Figure 102: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Helpful 

Of the 73 surveyed North Carolina licensees, only seven responded to questions concerning the NRC’s Safety Culture 

case studies. Respondents consistently replied neutral when asked about the case studies. Over 40% responded neutral 

to the case studies being helpful, appropriately detailed, easy to find, informative, and clear, logical, and easy to follow, 

while over 70% responded neutral when asked if the case studies were engaging. This indicates there is room for further 

communications and education concerning the case studies. No comments were received concerning case studies 

State Regulator Website Safety Culture Information 

Figure 103: State Regulator's Website Is User Friendly 
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Figure 104: State Regulator's Website Is Easy to Find 

Figure 105: State Regulator's Website Is Up-to-Date 
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Figure 106: State Regulator's Website Is Informative 

Of the 73 North Carolina licensee respondents, 43 answered questions pertaining to the State regulator’s website. Over 

80% of respondents, found their State regulator’s website to be up-to-date, informative, easy to find, and user friendly. 
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NRC Communications Support 

This set of questions help assess whether organizations are satisfied with the level and quality of NRC communications 

and how NRC or the State regulator can improve communications for enhancing Safety Culture. Three questions were 

included to obtain data concerning NRC support. 

Figure 107: Level of Satisfaction with Level of Communications 

When asked overall if the respondent’s organization is satisfied with the level of communications that it has received 

concerning Safety Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement, over 77% of respondents replied favorably. 

Figure 108: Level of Satisfaction with Quality of Communications 

Respondents were also asked their level of satisfaction with the quality of communications received about Safety 

Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement. Remaining consistent with the above mentioned survey question, over 
Task Order 4: NRC Safety Culture Outreach Survey, Supplement to Final Report 

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80% responded favorably. 

Summary of Qualitative Feedback:

• “It is redundant to our own policies promoting Safety Culture in our organization” 

• “It makes employees aware of the importance of our jobs as manufacturers in the nuclear and nuclear medicine 

shipping and storage packages” 

• “This really has little impact on an organization with a good safety process and culture, and fails to add value for 

resources expended in education of this initiative by the federal agency” 

• “Although many of the traits of a Positive Safety Culture seems to be common sense, actually having them 

printed should make more of an impact. Leadership and accountability should be foremost and the other traits 

will follow” 

• “One of the best ways to make good practices a part of one's daily work is to create a way of thinking about 

safety in the organization that promotes openness, clear lines of communication, awareness of standards, and 

an educated approach to the use and disposal of radioactive materials” 

• “Presentations at local level are very helpful- example local “safety schools" sponsored by NC” 

• “We can review examples of ways our site demonstrate Safety Culture traits during inspections” 

• “maybe put a link on ncradiation.net website to the NRC Safety Culture & Policy statement”, information on 

websites, provide list of training resources 
Task Order 4: NRC Safety Culture Outreach Survey, Supplement to Final Report 

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Appendix E: Data Analysis Findings – Ohio 

Demographics of Respondents 

This set of questions would identify respondents by the organization/state they are a licensee of, job position, and 

license(s) held. This information helps organize and analyze responses by subpopulation. 

Figure 109: Respondents by Position Title 

There were a total of 21 survey respondents who identified themselves as Ohio licensees. This group consisted of Safety 

or Compliance Officers, management, owners or executives, and “other.” 

Table 5: Survey Respondents by License Type 

Subpopulation by License Type* Number of Respondents 

Portable Gauge Licensee 4 

Fixed Gauge Licensee 0 

Industrial Radiography/Logging Licensee 5 

Irradiator Licensee 0 

Master Materials Licensee 0 

Medical Use Licensee 8 

Broad Scope Licensee 3 

Research and Development, Gas Chromatographs, and X-Ray 

Fluorescence Licensee 

0 

Exempt Distribution Licensee 0 

Possession License for Manufacturing and Distribution 0 

Commercial Radiopharmacy Licensee 1 

Service Provider Licensee 1 

License for Special Nuclear Material of Less Than Critical 

Mass 

0 

Spent Fuel Storage Licensee 0 

Fuel Cycle Facility Licensee 0 

Other 2 

(*As some licensees may hold multiple license types, above subpopulations are not mutually exclusive) 

Awareness of Safety Culture 
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Awareness of Safety Culture survey questions sought to identify the respondents’ cognizance and knowledge of the NRC 

Safety Culture Policy Statement and educational and outreach materials on NRC’s website. With knowledge of these 

materials, respondents understand where to go for information. Three questions were asked to collect information on 

awareness (Survey Questions 4-6). The first question asks about self-awareness of the Safety Culture policy and the 

subsequent two questions ask for the respondent’s perception of management and staff awareness. 

Figure 110: Respondent Awareness of Safety Culture Policy 

A large majority of the respondents (81%) is aware of the NRC or their Agreement State’s policy on Safety Culture. 

Figure 111: Management Awareness of Safety Culture Policy 

Figure 112: Staff Awareness of Safety Culture Policy W License Type 
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In general, respondents perceived management and staff awareness at their organizations similarly. When questioned, 

over half of respondents felt many or most of the management and staff at their organizations were aware of Safety 

Culture policy. In both management and staff cases, 19% of respondents perceived that only a few of the staff and 

management at their organizations to be aware. This poses a rather large concern. There is a large discrepancy when we 

compare what the survey respondents state their own awareness to be in comparison to their perception of the 

population’s awareness at their organization. This may indicate that Safety Culture awareness is not readily discussed 

and therefore respondents assume others are unaware as a result. 
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Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products 

The distribution survey questions helped to understand how organizations access the NRC Safety Culture educational 

and outreach materials and help to understand how useful respondents find the NRC materials. Respondents were 

asked four questions concerning distribution to identify the methods by which their organizations receive Safety Culture 

information, determine how accessible Safety Culture information is, and how useful they find that information. This 

feedback can determine which methods are working as well as identify potential areas of improvement. 

Figure 113: Methods by Which Organizations Received Safety Culture Information 

Survey respondents noted most frequently that correspondence (such as emails and letters) and the NRC’s Safety 

Culture website were the methods by which their organizations received Safety Culture information. 

Figure 114: Ease and Convenience of Accessing Safety Culture Information 
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Respondents provided their agreement level with the statement “It is easy and convenient to access information about 

Safety Culture from NRC or my State regulator.” A large majority (66.7%) of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with 

this statement. Approximately one third of respondents were either neutral or did not find it easy and convenient to 

access Safety Culture information. Although the majority of responses were favorable, unfavorable and neutral 

responses suggest further efforts are necessary to educate a wider audience on the availability of Safety Culture 

information. 

Figure 115: Usefulness of Safety Culture Information Received 

Respondents provided their agreement level with the following statement “The information my organization has 

received about Safety Culture is useful.” The majority (over 62%) agreed or strongly agreed the information was useful. 

Despite this positive feedback, over a third of respondents were neutral or did not find the information useful. 
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Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach 

These questions elicit an understanding respondents’ familiarity with various NRC Safety Culture educational and 

outreach materials, as well as how respondents rate certain characteristics of the products. Data was collected on 

several NRC specific products, including the NRC Safety Culture website, brochure, and case studies; as well as Safety 

Culture information available on the State regulator’s website. 

Figure 116: Safety Culture Products Familiar to Respondents 

When asked what Safety Culture products they were familiar with, respondents noted the NRC’s Safety Culture website 

and brochure most frequently. 

NRC Safety Culture Website 

Figure 117: NRC Safety Culture Website Is User Friendly 

Figure 118: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Easy to Find 
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Figure 119: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Up-to-Date 

Figure 120: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Informative 
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Of the 21 Ohio licensees who participated in the survey, ten completed questions relating to the NRC’s Safety Culture 

website. The majority of the respondents found the NRC website to be user friendly, easy to find, up-to-date, and 

informative. 

NRC Safety Culture Brochure 

Figure 121: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Clear, Logical, and Easy to Follow 

Figure 122: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Easy to Find 
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Figure 123: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Informative 

Figure 124: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Appropriately Detailed 
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Figure 125: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Engaging 

Figure 126: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Helpful 
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Of the 21 Ohio licensees who participated in the survey, eight answered questions concerning the NRC’s Safety Culture 

brochure. Over 75% of respondents reported that the NRC safety brochure was helpful, appropriately detailed, 

engaging, easy to find, and clear, logical, and easy to follow. All respondents agreed or strongly agreed the brochure was 

informative. No respondents replied unfavorably when questioned about the brochure. 

NRC Safety Culture Case Studies 

Only one respondent answered questions pertaining to the NRC Safety Culture Case Studies. The respondent 

answered neutral on all questions when asked if the case studies were easy to find, informative, practical, 

engaging, helpful, appropriately detailed, and clear, logical, and easy to follow. 

State Regulator Website Safety Culture Information 

Figure 127: State Regulator's Website Is User Friendly 

Figure 128: State Regulator's Website Is Easy to Find 
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Figure 129: State Regulator's Website Is Up-to-Date 

Figure 130: State Regulator's Website Is Informative 
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Of the 21 Ohio licensee respondents, only five answered questions pertaining to the State regulator’s website. The 

majority of respondents (60%) were neutral when asked about the State regulator’s website being informative, easy to 

find, and up-to-date. The majority of respondents (60%) found the website to be user friendly. There were no 

unfavorable responses concerning the State regulator’s website. 
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NRC Communications Support 

This set of questions help assess whether organizations are satisfied with the level and quality of NRC communications 

and how NRC or the State regulator can improve communications for enhancing Safety Culture. Three questions were 

included to obtain data concerning NRC support. 

Figure 131: Level of Satisfaction with Level of Communications 

When asked overall if the respondent’s organization is satisfied with the level of communications that it has received 

concerning Safety Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement, over 57% of respondents replied favorably. When 

combining the neutral and unfavorable responses (disagree or strongly disagree), over 40% of respondents were 

indifferent or not satisfied. This indicates room for improvement. 

Figure 132: Level of Satisfaction with Quality of Communications 
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Respondents were also asked their level of satisfaction with the quality of communications received about Safety 

Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement. Remaining consistent with the above mentioned survey question, over 

60% responded favorably, over 28% indicated neutral and nearly 10% responded unfavorably. Concerning quality of 

communications, there is some significant room for improvement. 

Summary of Qualitative Feedback:

• “Send regular updates via email to RSO”, “send more information to license holders” 

• “Address Safety Culture in a positive manner” 

• “Continue your outreach program. It is one of the best ways to engage people from multiple locations” 

• “Ohio Department of Health Radiation Program is made up of former RTs and HP technicians. They are 

ignorant of managerial skills, organizational behavior and medical /health physics” 

• “Add information on it to the state’s license renewal page” 

• “Encourage self-identification and correction of problems during inspections” 

• “I would like to receive guidance on specific actions that can be taken to establish and maintain a positive 

Safety Culture environment in my organization” 

 
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Appendix F: Data Analysis Findings – Rhode Island 

Demographics of Respondents 

This set of questions would identify respondents by the organization/state they are a licensee of, job position, and 

license(s) held. This information helps organize and analyze responses by subpopulation. 

There were two survey respondents in the Rhode Island group. One held multiple state licenses. Both respondents 

identified themselves as Safety or Compliance Officers. One held a Medical Use license and the other a Fixed Gauge 

License. 
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Awareness of Safety Culture 

Awareness of Safety Culture survey questions sought to identify the respondents’ cognizance and knowledge of the NRC 

Safety Culture Policy Statement and educational and outreach materials on NRC’s website. With knowledge of these 

materials, respondents understand where to go for information. Three questions were asked to collect information on 

awareness (Survey Questions 4-6). The first question asks about self-awareness of the Safety Culture policy and the 

subsequent two questions ask for the respondent’s perception of management and staff awareness. 

Both respondents felt they were aware of the NRC’s or their State regulator’s policy on Safety Culture. This presents 

positive feedback in that the population surveyed is receiving some type of communication concerning the NRC’s or 

their State regulator’s policy. 

Figure 133: Management Awareness of Safety Culture Policy 

Figure 134: Staff Awareness of Safety Culture Policy W License Type 

The survey group was very small for this subpopulation, consisting of only two respondents. The results for management 

and staff awareness of Safety Culture policy were identical. Only one respondent felt that most of the staff at his/her 

organization was aware of Safety Culture policy while the other felt only few were aware. This may indicate that Safety 

Culture awareness is not readily discussed and therefore respondents assume others are unaware as a result.
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Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products 

The distribution survey questions helped to understand how organizations access the NRC Safety Culture educational 

and outreach materials and help to understand how useful respondents find the NRC materials. Respondents were 

asked four questions concerning distribution to identify the methods by which their organizations receive Safety Culture 

information, determine how accessible Safety Culture information is, and how useful they find that information. This 

feedback can determine which methods are working as well as identify potential areas of improvement. 

Figure 135: Methods by Which Organizations Received Safety Culture Information 

Survey respondents only identified correspondence (such as emails and letters), the NRC’s Safety Culture website, and 

“other” (or Compliance Action) as methods by which their organizations received Safety Culture information. 

Figure 136: Ease and Convenience of Accessing Safety Culture Information 

Respondents provided their agreement level with the statement “It is easy and convenient to access information about 
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Safety Culture from NRC or my State regulator.” One respondent was favorable and the other unfavorable. 

Figure 137: Usefulness of Safety Culture Information Received 

Respondents provided their agreement level with the following statement “The information my organization has 

received about Safety Culture is useful.” One respondent found the information useful and the other did not. One 

respondent stated “When I seeked out information about the NRC's Safety Culture initiative when I became aware of it, 

the available guidance was as vague as the initiative itself.” 
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Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach 

These questions elicit an understanding respondents’ familiarity with various NRC Safety Culture educational and 

outreach materials, as well as how respondents rate certain characteristics of the products. Data was collected on 

several NRC specific products, including the NRC Safety Culture website, brochure, and case studies; as well as Safety 

Culture information available on the State regulator’s website. 

Figure 138: Safety Culture Products Familiar to Respondents 

When asked what Safety Culture products they were familiar with, respondents noted the NRC’s Safety Culture website 

and the NRC Safety Culture brochure only once each. 

NRC Safety Culture Website 

Only one respondent answered questions pertaining to the NRC Safety Culture website. The respondent agreed that the 

website was user friendly, easy to find, up-to-date, and informative. 

NRC Safety Culture Brochure 

Only one respondent provided feedback concerning the NRC Safety Culture brochure. The respondent agreed the 

brochure was informative, appropriately detailed, engaging, easy to find, helpful, and clear, logical, and easy to follow. 

NRC Safety Culture Case Studies 

No responses were obtained concerning NRC Safety Culture case studies. 

State Regulator Website Safety Culture Information 

No responses were obtained concerning Safety Culture information on the State regulator’s website. 
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NRC Communications Support 

This set of questions help assess whether organizations are satisfied with the level and quality of NRC communications 

and how NRC or the State regulator can improve communications for enhancing Safety Culture. Three questions were 

included to obtain data concerning NRC support. 

Figure 139: Level of Satisfaction with Level of Communications 

When asked overall if the respondent’s organization is satisfied with the level of communications that it has received 

concerning Safety Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement, one respondent agreed while the other strongly 

disagreed. 

Figure 140: Level of Satisfaction with Quality of Communications 

Respondents were also asked their level of satisfaction with the quality of communications received about Safety 
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Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement. Remaining consistent with the above mentioned survey question, one 

respondent was satisfied while the other respondent strongly disagreed with the statement. “If licensees are forced to 

tolerate this ridiculous, ill-conceived initiative, at least put it into a regulation with specific, achievable compliance 

expectations.” 

Summary of Qualitative Feedback:

• “If licensees are forced to tolerate this ridiculous, ill-conceived initiative, at least put it into a regulation with 

specific, achievable compliance expectations (after a reasonable comment period, which of course the NRC 

will merely defend their efforts rather than heed licensee complaints)” 

• “Send regular updates (if any ) to RSO” 

 
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Appendix G: Data Analysis Findings – Virginia 

Demographics of Respondents 

This set of questions would identify respondents by the organization/state they are a licensee of, job position, and 

license(s) held. This information helps organize and analyze responses by subpopulation. 

Figure 141: Respondents by Position Title 

There were a total of 75 survey respondents who identified themselves as Virginia licensees. Of those, 57% were Safety 

or Compliance Officers. Among the Virginia respondents, 21 held Medical Use Licenses and 18 held Portable Gauge 

licenses. 

Subpopulation by License Type* Number of Respondents 

Portable Gauge Licensee 18 

Fixed Gauge Licensee 10 

Industrial Radiography/Logging Licensee 9 

Irradiator Licensee 2 

Master Materials Licensee 0 

Medical Use Licensee 22 

Broad Scope Licensee 5 

Research and Development, Gas Chromatographs, and X-Ray 

Fluorescence Licensee 

3 

Exempt Distribution Licensee 0 

Possession License for Manufacturing and Distribution 2 

Commercial Radiopharmacy Licensee 2 

Service Provider Licensee 3 

License for Special Nuclear Material of Less Than Critical Mass 2 

Spent Fuel Storage Licensee 0 

Fuel Cycle Facility Licensee 0 

Other 8 

(*As some licensees may hold multiple license types, above subpopulations are not mutually exclusive)

Awareness of Safety Culture 

Awareness of Safety Culture survey questions sought to identify the respondents’ cognizance and knowledge of the NRC 
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Safety Culture Policy Statement and educational and outreach materials on NRC’s website. With knowledge of these 

materials, respondents understand where to go for information. Three questions were asked to collect information on 

awareness (Survey Questions 4-6). The first question asks about self-awareness of the Safety Culture policy and the 

subsequent two questions ask for the respondent’s perception of management and staff awareness. 

Figure 142: Respondent Awareness of Safety Culture Policy 

A large majority of the respondents (90.7%) is aware of the NRC or their Agreement State’s policy on Safety Culture. 

Several respondents noted that this survey was the first they had heard of Safety Culture policy. This presents positive 

feedback overall in that the population surveyed is receiving some type of communication concerning the NRC’s or their 

State regulator’s policy. 

Figure 143: Management Awareness of Safety Culture Policy 

Figure 144: Staff Awareness of Safety Culture Policy W License Type 
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Virginia licensee respondents perceived management and staff awareness at their organizations similarly. Over 60% of 

respondents felt many or most of the management and staff at their organizations were aware of Safety Culture policy. 

In both management and staff cases, 31% of respondents perceived that only a few of the staff and management at 

their organization to be aware. There is a large discrepancy when we compare what the survey respondents state their 

own awareness to be with their perception of the population’s awareness at their organization. This may indicate that 

Safety Culture awareness is not readily discussed and therefore respondents assume others are unaware as a result. 
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Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products 

The distribution survey questions helped to understand how organizations access the NRC Safety Culture educational 

and outreach materials and help to understand how useful respondents find the NRC materials. Respondents were 

asked four questions concerning distribution to identify the methods by which their organizations receive Safety Culture 

information, determine how accessible Safety Culture information is, and how useful they find that information. This 

feedback can determine which methods are working as well as identify potential areas of improvement. 

Figure 145: Methods by Which Organizations Received Safety Culture Information 

Survey respondents noted most frequently that correspondence (such as emails and letters) and inspections were the 

methods by which their organizations received Safety Culture information. 

Figure 146: Ease and Convenience of Accessing Safety Culture Information 

 
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Respondents provided their agreement level with the statement “It is easy and convenient to access information about 

Safety Culture from NRC or my State regulator.” Over 70% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with this 

statement. Approximately 29% of respondents were either neutral or did not find it easy and convenient to access 

Safety Culture information. One respondent said he was unaware resources were available on the Safety Culture 

website until this survey. Although the majority of responses were favorable, unfavorable and neutral responses suggest 

further efforts are necessary to educate a wider audience on the availability of Safety Culture information. 

Figure 147: Usefulness of Safety Culture Information Received 

Respondents provided their agreement level with the following statement “The information my organization has 

received about Safety Culture is useful.” The majority (over 70%) agreed or strongly agreed the information was useful. 

Repeatedly, respondents stated the information was useful to supplement training in place. One respondent said the 

information “provides good talking points for daily safety job briefs” while another stated his organization has “used the 

information to reconfirm what we were already trying to accomplish in culture change.” Despite this positive feedback, 

over 29% of respondents were neutral or did not find the information useful. One respondent felt the information was 

too broad and, therefore, not applicable to specific job tasks to be useful. 
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Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach 

These questions elicit an understanding respondents’ familiarity with various NRC Safety Culture educational and 

outreach materials, as well as how respondents rate certain characteristics of the products. Data was collected on 

several NRC specific products, including the NRC Safety Culture website, brochure, and case studies; as well as Safety 

Culture information available on the State regulator’s website. 

Figure 148: Safety Culture Products Familiar to Respondents 

When asked what Safety Culture products they were familiar with, respondents noted the NRC’s Safety Culture website 

most frequently followed by then by the NRC’s Safety Culture brochure and their State regulator’s website. 

NRC Safety Culture Website 

Figure 149: NRC Safety Culture Website Is User Friendly 

Figure 150: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Easy to Find 
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Figure 151: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Up-to-Date 

Figure 152: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Informative 
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Of the 75 Virginia licensee survey participants, 44 responded to questions pertaining to the NRC’s Safety Culture 

website. A large majority found the NRC website to be user friendly, easy to find, up-to-date, and informative. 

“I have seen links to the NRC Safety Culture website from the left-hand navigation of the main NRC 

website. I think it might be useful to make the Safety Culture section more prominent; possibly with its 

own layout and branding. This would help make it more distinct, easier to find, and more noticeable as a 

priority of the NRC.” 

NRC Safety Culture Brochure 

Figure 153: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Clear, Logical, and Easy to Follow 

Figure 154: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Easy to Find 
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Figure 155: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Informative 

Figure 156: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Appropriately Detailed 
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Figure 157: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Engaging 

Figure 158: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Helpful 
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Of the 75 Virginia licensees who took part in the survey, 23 responded to questions pertaining to the NRC’s Safety 

Culture brochure. The large majority responded favorably to the brochure. Over 80% of respondents found the brochure 

helpful, appropriately detailed, informative, easy to find, and clear, logical, and easy to follow. Respondents consistently 

noted the brochure was utilized for various meetings and training purposes. One respondent stated “As written, [the 

brochure] is complete and easy to understand... Can easily take the ‘Safety Culture Policy’ and turn it into 

Company's/Management Policy.” 

NRC Safety Culture Case Studies 

Figure 159: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Clear, Logical, and Easy to Follow 

Figure 160: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Easy to Find 
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Figure 161: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Informative 

Figure 162: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Appropriately Detailed 
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Figure 163: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Engaging 

Figure 164: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Practical 
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Figure 165: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Helpful 

Of the 75 Virginia licensees, only five responded to questions concerning the NRC Safety Culture case studies. All 

respondents agreed or strongly agreed the case studies were helpful, informative and clear, logical, and easy to follow. 

Appropriately detailed, engaging, practical, and easy to find. 
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State Regulator Website Safety Culture Information 

Figure 166: State Regulator's Website Is User Friendly 

Figure 167: State Regulator's Website Is Easy to Find 

Figure 168: State Regulator's Website Is Up-to-Date 
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Figure 169: State Regulator's Website Is Informative 

Of the 75 Virginia licensees that participated in the survey, 24 answered questions pertaining to the State regulator’s 

website. Majority of respondents, found their State regulator’s website to be up-to-date and informative. Respondents 

found the website very specific and one stated information was “very well listed and to the point.” A noticeable portion 

of respondents (ranging from 20-29%) felt neutral when asked about the State regulator’s website. This indicates there 

may be value in further communications or education concerning the Virginia State regulator’s website. 
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NRC Communications Support 

This set of questions help assess whether organizations are satisfied with the level and quality of NRC communications 

and how NRC or the State regulator can improve communications for enhancing Safety Culture. Three questions were 

included to obtain data concerning NRC support. 

Figure 170: Level of Satisfaction with Level of Communications 

When asked overall if the respondent’s organization is satisfied with the level of communications that it has received 

concerning Safety Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement, over 60% of respondents replied favorably. When 

combining the neutral and unfavorable responses, nearly 40% of respondents were indifferent or not satisfied. This 

indicates room for improvement. Few respondents remarked “This survey is the first we have heard of it.” One 

respondent suggested “periodic reminders and updates, signup for the notification of Safety Culture and Policy 

changes.” Another respondent stated, “It would be nice to receive more information, i.e. maybe a monthly newsletter 

via email or [an] information packet quarterly. Something that helps me educate my employees better and keeps us all 

up to date on any current or pending changes.” 

Figure 171: Level of Satisfaction with Quality of Communications 
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Respondents were also asked their level of satisfaction with the quality of communications received about Safety 

Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement. Remaining consistent with the above mentioned survey question, 

nearly 65% responded favorably, 30% indicated neutral and 5.5% responded unfavorably. Concerning quality of 

communications, there is some significant room for improvement. 

Summary of Qualitative Feedback • Some respondents are not aware or have no information about the Safety Culture propagated by NRC but 

some of them follow their own policies and guidelines 

• “...the Safety Culture does not seem to add value to the organization but probably does create enhanced 

safety for the state. It is more work, such as the review of individuals with fingerprinting and background 

checks to have to go through the process again after 10 years. The GTRI initiative has also created slightly 

more safety but many more problems with the equipment, monitoring and reports” 

• “Our company policies usually are more stringent than regulatory safety programs. We utilized the 

information from many regulatory agencies and integrate them into our own culture” 

• “Leadership Safety Values and Actions our facility leads by example, Personal Accountability is important so 

that each employee is responsible for his her day to day safe work habits. Environment for Raising Concerns 

is probably the most important due to the open door policy on any concerns to any manager” 

• “We have always a practiced a culture of safety but the information provided by the NRC is useful as well” 

• “It’s too broad and isn’t directed to my market segment” 

• Keeps us up to date on safety issues, solutions and upcoming changes, reconfirms/reinforces that we are 

already trying to accomplish in culture change, “provides good talking points for daily safety job briefs”, 

“found the poster information useful for educating staff”, “makes employees aware of the company and 

individual responsibility towards a safe workplace” 

• Posted posters for employees, used hand out brochures regarding Safety Culture for training, website is very 

user friendly 
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Appendix H: Data Analysis Findings – Washington 

Demographics of Respondents 

This set of questions would identify respondents by the organization/state they are a licensee of, job position, and 

license(s) held. This information helps organize and analyze responses by subpopulation. 

Figure 172: Respondents by Position Title 

There were a total of 80 survey respondents who identified themselves as Washington state licensees. Over half 

identified themselves as Safety or Compliance Officers, 15 held Medical Use Licenses and 23 held Portable Gauge 

licenses. 

Table 6: Survey Respondents by License Type 

Subpopulation by License Type* Number of Respondents 

Portable Gauge Licensee 23 

Fixed Gauge Licensee 6 

Industrial Radiography/Logging Licensee 9 

Irradiator Licensee 1 

Master Materials Licensee 0 

Medical Use Licensee 15 

Broad Scope Licensee 7 

Research and Development, Gas Chromatographs, and X-Ray 

Fluorescence Licensee 

8 

Exempt Distribution Licensee 0 

Possession License for Manufacturing and Distribution 1 

Commercial Radiopharmacy Licensee 2 

Service Provider Licensee 3 

License for Special Nuclear Material of Less Than Critical Mass 1 

Spent Fuel Storage Licensee 0 

Fuel Cycle Facility Licensee 0 

Other 13 

(*As some licensees may hold multiple license types, above subpopulations are not mutually exclusive)
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Awareness of Safety Culture 

Awareness of Safety Culture survey questions sought to identify the respondents’ cognizance and knowledge of the NRC 

Safety Culture Policy Statement and educational and outreach materials on NRC’s website. With knowledge of these 

materials, respondents understand where to go for information. Three questions were asked to collect information on 

awareness (Survey Questions 4-6). The first question asks about self-awareness of the Safety Culture policy and the 

subsequent two questions ask for the respondent’s perception of management and staff awareness. 

Figure 173: Respondent Awareness of Safety Culture Policy 

A large majority of the respondents (85%) is aware of the NRC or their Agreement State’s policy on Safety Culture. 

Several respondents noted that this survey was the first they had heard of Safety Culture policy. This presents positive 

feedback overall in that the population surveyed is receiving some type of communication concerning the NRC’s or their 

State regulator’s policy. 

Figure 174: Management Awareness of Safety Culture Policy 

Figure 175: Staff Awareness of Safety Culture Policy W License Type 
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In general, respondents perceived management and staff awareness at their organizations similarly. Over half of the 

respondents felt most of the management and staff at their organizations were aware of Safety Culture policy. 

Conversely, over 25% of respondents perceived that only a few or some of the staff and management at their 

organization to be aware. There is a large discrepancy when we compare what the survey respondents state their own 

awareness to be in comparison to their perception of the population’s awareness at their organization. This may indicate 

that Safety Culture awareness is not readily discussed and therefore respondents assume others are unaware as a result. 
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Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products 

The distribution survey questions helped to understand how organizations access the NRC Safety Culture educational 

and outreach materials and help to understand how useful respondents find the NRC materials. Respondents were 

asked four questions concerning distribution to identify the methods by which their organizations receive Safety Culture 

information, determine how accessible Safety Culture information is, and how useful they find that information. This 

feedback can determine which methods are working as well as identify potential areas of improvement. 

Figure 176: Methods by Which Organizations Received Safety Culture Information 

Survey respondents noted most frequently that inspections, correspondence (such as emails and letters), and the State 

regulator’s website were the methods by which their organizations received Safety Culture information. 

Figure 177: Ease and Convenience of Accessing Safety Culture Information 

Respondents provided their agreement level with the statement “It is easy and convenient to access information about 

Safety Culture from NRC or my State regulator.” Over 60% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with this 
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statement. In reference to the NRC website, one respondent stated it provided “easy access, prompt response if there is 

questions and overall easy to understand.” Over one third of respondents were either neutral or did not find it easy and 

convenient to access Safety Culture information. In reference to the Washington state website, one respondent stated: 

“The website does not appear to be a great safety resource in itself. It instead directs questions about 

Safety Culture to the NRC website. That said, the individual auditors and people working at WADOE 

[Washington State Department of Ecology] are great resources concerning this topic.” 

Although the majority of responses were favorable, unfavorable and neutral responses suggest further efforts are 

necessary to educate a wider audience on the availability of Safety Culture information. 

Figure 178: Usefulness of Safety Culture Information Received 

Respondents provided their agreement level with the following statement “The information my organization has 

received about Safety Culture is useful.” The majority (over 66%) agreed or strongly agreed the information was useful. 

One respondent stated “On-line availability of information is helpful in not [only] general training and understanding but 

is also helpful when answering specific concerns of individual employees.” Repeatedly, respondents stated the 

information was useful as supplemental information for continual awareness and/or training. One respondent said 

“while we already had a policy to promote a Safety Culture, provided information has provided additional clarity and 

confirmed our approach.” Despite this positive feedback, over a third of respondents were neutral or did not find the 

information useful. Some respondents stated the first time they received information concerning Safety Culture was this 

survey. 
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Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach 

These questions elicit an understanding respondents’ familiarity with various NRC Safety Culture educational and 

outreach materials, as well as how respondents rate certain characteristics of the products. Data was collected on 

several NRC specific products, including the NRC Safety Culture website, brochure, and case studies; as well as Safety 

Culture information available on the State regulator’s website. 

Figure 179: Safety Culture Products Familiar to Respondents 

When asked what Safety Culture products they were familiar with, respondents noted the information about Safety 

Culture on Washington State regulator’s website most frequently. 

NRC Safety Culture Website 

Figure 180: NRC Safety Culture Website Is User Friendly 

Figure 181: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Easy to Find 
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Figure 182: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Up-to-Date 

Figure 183: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Informative 
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Of the 80 Washington licensee survey respondents, 27 responded to questions pertaining to the NRC’s Safety Culture 

website. Overall, majority of the respondents found the NRC website to be user friendly, easy to find, up-to-date, and 

informative. Respondents find the website useful as a training aid and information on the site useful for meetings and 

knowledge sharing. One respondent would like better print formatting in order for displaying and sharing certain 

website content. 

NRC Safety Culture Brochure 

Figure 184: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Clear, Logical, and Easy to Follow 

Figure 185: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Easy to Find 
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Figure 186: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Informative 

Figure 187: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Appropriately Detailed 
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Figure 188: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Engaging 

Figure 189: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Helpful 
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Of the 80 Washington licensees that participated in the survey, eighteen responded to questions concerning the NRC’s 

Safety Culture brochure. Most respondents reported that the NRC safety brochure was helpful, appropriately detailed, 

informative, easy to find, and clear, logical, and easy to follow. Respondents consistently noted the brochure was 

utilized for various meetings and training purposes. 

One survey question about the brochure yielded less positive feedback in comparison to the consistently positive 

feedback from other questions. When asked if the NRC Safety Culture brochure was engaging, respondents replied less 

favorably. This shows that even though respondents found the brochure easy to follow and helpful, and informative, 

improvement can be made the brochure to have it more engaging. 

NRC Safety Culture Case Studies 

Figure 190: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Clear, Logical, and Easy to Follow 

Figure 191: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Easy to Find 
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Figure 192: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Informative 

Figure 193: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Appropriately Detailed 
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Figure 194: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Engaging 

Figure 195: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Practical 
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Figure 196: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Helpful 

Of the 80 Washington licensees that participated in the survey, only five responded to questions concerning the NRC 

Safety Culture case studies. For all questions, 60% of respondents replied favorably 60% of the time agreeing or strongly 

agreeing- the case studies were helpful, appropriately detailed, informative, easy to find, practical, engaging, and clear, 

logical, and easy to follow. The remaining 40% of respondents replied neutral indicating improvements can be made to 

the NRC’s Safety Culture case studies. 
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State Regulator Website Safety Culture Information 

Figure 197: State Regulator's Website Is User Friendly 

Figure 198: State Regulator's Website Is Easy to Find 

Figure 199: State Regulator's Website Is Up-to-Date 
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Figure 200: State Regulator's Website Is Informative 

Of the 80 Washington state respondents, 35 answered questions pertaining to the State regulator’s website. Majority of 

respondents, over 70%, found their State regulator’s website to be user friendly. Over 60% of respondents agreed or 

strongly agreed the State regulator’s website was informative, up-to-date, and easy to find. The respondents replied 

neutral to all statements (20%-40%) which indicates some improvement is possible for the Washington State regulator’s 

website. One respondent compared the federal website to that of the State regulator in the following account: 

“Washington state's Safety Culture material is directly accessible from the Radioactive Materials page. 

Supporting documents and regulations are also more easily accessible than on the federal website due to 

website layout. Like the federal brochure, the radiation Safety Culture brochure material is nearly identical 

to corporate policy. The state brochure is better laid-out than the federal brochure with the Definition, 

Policy Statement and Traits being the first things seen when the brochure is opened. The Traits of Positive 

Nuclear Culture being very prominent when viewed on the website and when the flyer is opened.” 
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NRC Communications Support 

This set of questions help assess whether organizations are satisfied with the level and quality of NRC communications 

and how NRC or the State regulator can improve communications for enhancing Safety Culture. Three questions were 

included to obtain data concerning NRC support. 

Figure 201: Level of Satisfaction with Level of Communications 

When asked overall if the respondent’s organization is satisfied with the level of communications that it has received 

concerning Safety Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement, over 58% of respondents replied favorably. When 

combining the neutral and unfavorable responses, over 41% of respondents were indifferent or not satisfied. This 

indicates room for improvement. Few respondents remarked “This survey is the first we have heard of it.” One 

respondent suggested “periodic reminders and updates, signup for the notification of Safety Culture and Policy 

changes.” 

Figure 202: Level of Satisfaction with Quality of Communications 
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Respondents were also asked their level of satisfaction with the quality of communications received about Safety 

Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement. Remaining consistent with the above mentioned survey question, 

nearly 60% responded favorably, over 31% indicated neutral and nearly 10% responded unfavorably. Concerning quality 

of communications, there is some significant room for improvement. 

Summary of Quality Feedback: • Some respondents reported that they did not receive the information, were unaware or that the 

information was not needed since they have their own program and policies 

• “Radiation safety program is well managed and other areas of safety, are beginning to review to see if it 

can be duplicated” 

• “Washington State Provides Regular Bulletins and Updates. Company policy requires regular review and 

update of the on-site Radiation Safety Manual and associated training of personnel” 

• “As a large research University the topic of laboratory safety and everyone's attitude about safety is high 

priority. We appreciate the NRC and State's reinforcement that safety is important every day and 

always” 

• ‘The Safety Culture information is helpful because it is in a concise format that states clearly what is 

expected. It is helpful when training new employees to enforce the principles of accountability, work 

processes and a questioning attitude” 

• “Just because NRC/Agreement State also promotes a Safety Culture, it does not have an additional 

effect but just reinforces all of the other positive messages on safety. We also have engineered our 

equipment with multiple safety interlocks and have a great record of no mishaps in over twenty years. 

We also consistently show nearly zero exposure year after year.” 

• “Safety Culture has to start with upper management, and rolling it out takes years to do, as you need to 

actually change how people think and work” 

• “The brochure about Safety Culture is short and well organized, and easy to find on the DOH.WA.Gov 

site” 

• “My organization has created a non-threatening Safety Culture whereby employees are willing to 

communicate radiation safety issues without fear of retribution. This has helped to promote radiation 

risk awareness and responsibility. Both basic and self-directed safety compliance systems have been 

developed (radiation safety training programs and procedures and processes to comply with 

regulations) to improve the quality and effectiveness of radiation safety. Good radiation safety practices 
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and positive achievements (i.e., inspections with no items of non-compliance; decreased exposure doses 

to staff; purchasing needed radiation safety equipment; support of the Radiation Safety Officer) are 

recognized across the organization, making this culture a part of everyday life from the top down” 

• Easy access, prompt response if there is questions and overall easy to understand 

• “Safety Culture has not to my knowledge been part of recent communication with WA State” 

• “We feel that communication materials to employees regarding Safety Culture from Federal and State 

Agencies let our employees know that they have a voice, and that they are an integral part of the safety 

community” 

• ‘It is a little wordy. Also, the business-speak (stakeholders, policy statement, etc.) tend to make 

scientists comatose, and those are the people I generally want to reach. My facility is small enough that 

admin lets me handle the Radiation Safety issues and does not try to implement changes that would 

adversely affect the program, but they are already aware of the importance of maintaining the program 

as stringently as possible.” 

• Needs specific examples, “as it would apply to the portable nuclear gauge industry” 

• I find it extremely difficult to navigate if you are not familiar with what you are looking for. Especially 

when it comes to finding license renewal/application information/forms. 
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Appendix I: Data Analysis Findings – Wisconsin 

Demographics of Respondents 

This set of questions would identify respondents by the organization/state they are a licensee of, job position, and 

license(s) held. This information helps organize and analyze respondents by subpopulation. 

Figure 203: Respondents by Position Title 

There were a total of 96 survey respondents who identified themselves as Wisconsin licensees. Within that population, 

there were 64 Safety and Compliance Officers, 35 Portable Gauge License holders, and 19 Medical Use License holders. 

Table 7: Survey Respondents by License Type 

Subpopulation by License Type* Number of Respondents 

Portable Gauge Licensee 35 

Fixed Gauge Licensee 10 

Industrial Radiography/Logging Licensee 7 

Irradiator Licensee 1 

Master Materials Licensee 2 

Medical Use Licensee 19 

Broad Scope Licensee 6 

Research and Development, Gas Chromatographs, and X-Ray 

Fluorescence Licensee 

4 

Exempt Distribution Licensee 1 

Possession License for Manufacturing and Distribution 3 

Commercial Radiopharmacy Licensee 5 

Service Provider Licensee 1 

License for Special Nuclear Material of Less Than Critical Mass 0 

Spent Fuel Storage Licensee 0 

Fuel Cycle Facility Licensee 1 

Other 5 

(*As some licensees may hold multiple license types, above subpopulations are not mutually exclusive)
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Awareness of Safety Culture 

Awareness of Safety Culture survey questions sought to identify the respondents’ cognizance and knowledge of the NRC 

Safety Culture Policy Statement and educational and outreach materials on NRC’s website. With knowledge of these 

materials, respondents are educated on where to go for information. Three questions were asked to collect information 

on awareness (Survey Questions 4-6). The first question asks about self-awareness of the safety culture policy and the 

subsequent two questions ask for the respondent’s perception of management and staff awareness. 

Figure 204: Respondent Awareness of Safety Culture Policy 

A large majority of the respondents (86.5%) is aware of the NRC or their Agreement State’s policy on Safety Culture. This 

presents positive feedback overall in that the population surveyed is receiving some type of communication concerning 

the NRC’s or their State regulator’s policy. 

Figure 205: Management Awareness of Safety Culture Policy 

Figure 206: Staff Awareness of Safety Culture Policy W License Type 
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In general, respondents perceived management and staff awareness at their organizations similarly. Over half of 

respondents felt many or most of the management and staff at their organizations were aware of safety culture policy. 

Conversely, nearly 25% of respondents perceived that only a few or some of the staff and management at their 

organization to be aware. There is a large discrepancy when what the survey respondents state their own awareness to 

be is compared to their perception of staff and management awareness at their organizations. This may indicate that 

safety culture awareness is not readily discussed and therefore respondents assume others are unaware as a result. 
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Distribution of NRC Safety Culture Products 

The distribution survey questions helped to understand how organizations access the NRC safety culture educational 

and outreach materials and help to understand how useful respondents find the NRC materials. Respondents were 

asked four questions concerning distribution to identify the methods by which their organizations receive safety culture 

information, determine how accessible safety culture information is, and how useful they find that information. This 

feedback can determine which methods are working as well as identify potential areas of improvement. 

Figure 207: Methods by Which Organizations Received Safety Culture Information 

Survey respondents noted most frequently that correspondence (such as emails and letters), inspections, and the State 

regulator’s website were the methods by which their organizations received safety culture information. One respondent 

commented positively on the inspection personnel saying “It is always helpful when an inspector or licenseeing staff 

guide you in Safety Culture in a positive manner.” 

Figure 208: Ease and Convenience of Accessing Safety Culture Information 
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Respondents determined their agreement level with the statement “It is easy and convenient to access information 

about Safety Culture from NRC or my State regulator.” Over 70% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed. One 

respondent noted the “State regulators are easy to contact when you have questions or concerns.” Over one-quarter of 

respondents were either neutral or did not find it easy and convenient to access safety culture information. 

Figure 209: Usefulness of Safety Culture Information Received 

Respondents determined their agreement level with the following statement “The information my organization has 

received about Safety Culture is useful.” The majority (over 65%) of respondents agreed or strongly agreed the 

information was useful. One respondent noted it provided a basis to make the technicians more readily understand the 

reasons of the culture and stance. Despite this positive feedback, over a third of respondents were neutral or did not 

find the information useful. Some respondents noted the information was not useful because it was not very specific 

and found the information “very vague with no clear guidelines.” Multiple respondents said they had not received any 

materials or information on the safety culture until this survey. 
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Products for NRC Safety Culture Education and Outreach 

These questions focus on understanding respondents’ familiarity with various NRC safety culture educational and 

outreach materials, as well as how respondents rate certain characteristics of the products. Data was collected on 

several NRC specific products, including the NRC Safety Culture website, brochure, and case studies; as well as safety 

culture information available on the State regulator’s website. 

Figure 210: Safety Culture Products Familiar to Respondents 

When asked what safety culture products they were familiar with, respondents noted their State regulator’s website 

most frequently followed by the NRC’s Safety Culture website. 

NRC Safety Culture Website 

Figure 211: NRC Safety Culture Website Is User Friendly 

Figure 212: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Easy to Find 
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Figure 213: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Up-to-Date 

Figure 214: NRC Safety Culture Website Is Informative 
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Of the 96 Wisconsin licensees that participated in the survey, 35 responded to questions concerning the NRC’s Safety 

Culture website. The majority of respondents (over 80%) found the NRC website to be user friendly, easy to find, up-todate, and informative. 

NRC Safety Culture Brochure 

Figure 215: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Clear, Logical, and Easy to Follow 

Figure 216: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Easy to Find 
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Figure 217: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Informative 

Figure 218: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Appropriately Detailed 
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Figure 219: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Engaging 

Figure 220: NRC Safety Culture Brochure Is Helpful 
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Of the 96 Wisconsin licensees that participated in the survey, 19 responded to questions concerning the NRC’s Safety 

Culture brochure. Most respondents reported that the NRC safety brochure was helpful, appropriately detailed, 

informative, easy to find, and clear, logical, and easy to follow. Respondents consistently noted the brochure was 

utilized for various meetings and training purposes. One respondent stated “As written, [the brochure] is complete and 

easy to understand...[It] can be used during the rad safety training sessions.” Nearly 95% of respondents found the 

brochure clear, logical, and easy to follow. Despite this, a few respondents reported the brochure needed more 

explanation and/or simplification. One, in particular, stated “It is a bit too wordy...The policy statement should be short 

and concise so people will read it.” The same respondent did go on to compliment the brochure saying “the Trait box is 

very clear and easy to read.” The one factor will scored less favorably was how engaging the respondents found the 

brochure. Less than half of the respondents agreed while over 47% felt neutral on the subject. 

NRC Safety Culture Case Studies 

Figure 221: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Clear, Logical, and Easy to Follow 

Figure 222: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Easy to Find 
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Figure 223: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Informative 

Figure 224: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Appropriately Detailed 
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Figure 225: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Engaging 

Figure 226: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Practical 
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Figure 227: NRC Safety Culture Case Studies Are Helpful 

Of the 96 Wisconsin licensees that participated in the survey, only five responded to questions concerning the NRC 

Safety Culture case studies. All respondents replied favorably (either strongly agreed or agreed) when asked if the case 

studies were helpful, easy to find, informative, and clear, logical, and easy to follow. 80% of respondents found the case 

studies appropriately detailed, engaging, and practical. There was only one unfavorable response received concerning 

case studies being found engaging. 
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State Regulator Website Safety Culture Information 

Figure 228: State Regulator's Website Is User Friendly 

Figure 229: State Regulator's Website Is Easy to Find 

Figure 230: State Regulator's Website Is Up-to-Date 
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Figure 231: State Regulator's Website Is Informative 

Of the 96 Wisconsin licensees, 42 answered questions pertaining to the State regulator’s website. Majority of 

respondents, found their State regulator’s website to be up-to-date, user friendly, easy to find, and informative. Despite 

the positive feedback, one respondent noted that “over the last few years Wisconsin has made multiple changes to its 

website making [it] sometimes difficult to find information that may have been easily acceptable in a previous version of 

their website.” 
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NRC Communications Support 

This set of questions help assess whether organizations are satisfied with the level and quality of NRC communications 

and how NRC or the State regulator can improve communications (for example with additional tools or information 

could be beneficial) for enhancing Safety Culture. Three questions were included to obtain data concerning NRC 

support. 

Figure 232: Level of Satisfaction with Level of Communications 

When asked overall if the respondent’s organization is satisfied with the level of communications that it has received 

concerning Safety Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement, over 61% of respondents replied favorably. When 

combining the neutral and unfavorable responses, nearly 40% of respondents were indifferent or not satisfied. This 

indicates room for improvement. Few respondents remarked “This survey is the first we have heard of it.” One 

respondent suggested “periodic reminders and updates, signup for the notification of Safety Culture and Policy 

changes.” 

Figure 233: Level of Satisfaction with Quality of Communications 
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Respondents were also asked their level of satisfaction with the quality of communications received about Safety 

Culture and the Safety Culture Policy Statement. Remaining consistent with the above mentioned survey question, over 

62%% responded favorably, over 25% indicated neutral and 12.6% responded unfavorably. Concerning quality of 

communications, there is some room for improvement. 

Summary of Qualitative Feedback: • Information was not provided, unaware of Safety Culture website, information was not very specific, 

information seems vague with no clear guidelines 

• Share the information with staff and technicians to establish and maintain a positive Safety Culture, 

useful in our annual refresher training, found the website very useful 

• “Could use more direct contact i.e. newsletter or emails” 

• “Over the last few years Wisconsin has made multiple changes to its website making sometimes difficult 

to find information that may have been easily acceptable in a previous version of their website” 

• “It is always helpful when an inspector or licensee staff guide you in Safety Culture in a positive manner” 

• “We have found Safety Culture to be very useful in our organization and most of our employees now 

know about Safety Culture” 

• “The examples presented in the literature we received provided us with a guideline for our organization 

to implement a Safety Culture within our companies handbook” 

• Posted safety posters with our other notifications/license(s) on our employee board, the NRC brochure 

is very wordy 

• “The company itself has a very well developed plan for the Safety Culture. We have been owned by this 

particular company for 10 years and with it came our EHS program with commitment cards which state 

a lot of the responsibilities you noted in your presentation. The Safety Culture is not new to me or my 

employees” 

• “The information has aided our organization in its ability to maintain a level of security and awareness 

during the operation, transportation and storage of our portable hand held device, which keeps 

everyone safe” 

• Like the NRC website, easy to use, especially “Trait Talks” 

• State Wisconsin’s website is useful and adequate, website difficult to navigate 

• Website’s usage should be promoted, suggest workshops, seminars and videos 

• “Self-assessments have always helped in the updating of policies. Using this tool reminds us to update 

the safety policies.” 

• “Continue your outreach program. It is one of the best ways to engage people from multiple locations”