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Definition Examples of Safety Culture and Overlap with Safety Climate						Print
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										**Definition Examples of Safety Culture**
Below are examples of definitions of safety culture.
**American Nurses Association (ANA)**
A culture of safety describes the core values and behaviors that come about when there is collective and continuous commitment by organizational leadership, managers, and healthcare workers to emphasize safety over competing goals (ANA, 2016).
**The Joint Commission (TJC)**
Safety culture is the sum of what an organization is and does in the pursuit of safety (TJC, 2021).
**T.R. Lee**
The safety culture of an organization is the product of individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies, and patterns of behavior that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organization’s health and safety management (Lee, 1996).
**Descriptions of Safety Culture**
Collective reflection of the perception, attitudes, and shared experiences of the safety culture
Your smaller work unit or “microcosm” should reflect the organization’s positive safety cultureAttributes include:
Emphasis on quality
Teamwork
Leadership support
Communication
Non-punitive response to errors
Perception of organizational commitment
Work design
Staffing and workloadResources (Gershon et al., 2004; Stone et al., 2005).
**Overlap and Differences Between Safety Culture and Safety Climate**
The terms ”safety culture” and “safety climate” are often used interchangeably.
*Safety culture* is a broad term encompassing overall organizational culture, values, and actions.
*Safety climate* is a narrower term focusing on staff’s current perceptions about supervision, resources, and policies that support how safety practices are monitored and managed through trust and transparency (TJC, 2021).PreviousNext
							
					
							Last Reviewed:  January 24, 2023						Source: 	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
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        Syndicate homeSafety Culture in Healthcare Settings
Training Informationplus icon
Introduction
Module 1: Safety Cultureplus icon
Why a Culture of Safety is Important
The Sociotechnical Model
Definition Examples of Safety Culture and Overlap with Safety Climate
Key Attributes and Joint Benefits of Safety Culture
Common Features of Positive Healthcare Worker Safety Culture
General Measurable Elements of a Safety Culture
Tools to Measure Safety Culture and Climate
A Snapshot of Safety Culture in U.S. Hospitals
References
Quiz 1Module 2: Work-Related Risks and Hazardsplus icon
Biological Hazardsplus icon
Chain of Infection Components
Risk Factors of Biological Agents and Unsafe Practices
Chemical Hazards
Enviromechanical Hazards
Physical Hazards
Psychosocial Hazards
Hazard Assessment/Determination
Case Study
References
Quiz 2Module 3: Prevention and Control of Work-Related Injury and Illnessplus icon
Hierarchy of Controls
Elimination: Physically Remove the Hazard
Substitution and Engineering Controls
Administrative Controls: Change the Way People Work
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Protect the Worker with PPE
Donning and Doffing PPE: Proper Wearing, Removal, and Disposal
References
Quiz 3Module 4: Leadership and Safe Work Environmentsplus icon
Commitment to Workplace Safety as High Priority and Through Role Modeling
Policies and Procedures and Safe Patient Handling
Hazard Analysis and Safe Staffing Workloads
State-of-the-Art Training and Handling Patients
Engage Healthcare Worker Champions and Observe Work
Transparency, Training, and Staff Safety Rounds
References
Quiz 4Module 5: Legal-Ethical Considerations to Promote Safe Working Conditionsplus icon
The Occupational Safety and Health Act and OSHA Standards
OSHA Healthcare Standards
OSHA Hazard Communication Standard and OSHA Guidelines
What Workers Can Do
Ethics and Healthcare Worker Exposure Considerations
Ethical Principles
References
Quiz 5Safety Culture in Healthcare Settings: Resources Follow NIOSH Facebook
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