Organizational Safety Culture Overview
An SHMS is interdependent with the organization’s safety culture. Whether the culture is strong and positive depends on the degree to which leadership understands current characteristics, has a clear idea of what it should look like—based on vision, values, and strategy—and has a process to actively enhance it. Culture change takes planning, involvement, inclusion, and patience.
One way that culture can be ascertained is through snapshot measurements of the current climate via confidential employee perception surveys and interviews. Companies may elect to conduct their own cultural assessment, use other publicly available tools (e.g., NIOSH), or work with third-party experts. The latter approach ensures confidentiality and optimal data analysis. Once strengths and weaknesses are identified, a culture enhancement plan can be developed and implemented. Embedded in any culture enhancement plan should be the recognition of psychosocial risks, which are increasingly being included in occupational SHMS (e.g., ISO 45003).
Culture can be measured and managed if safety and health remain an organizational value. Additionally, combining psychological safety with diversity, equity, and inclusion workplace initiatives has shown a strong, positive impact on safety culture. Small changes that are consistently evaluated and improved over time can yield a culture that has a long-lasting effect on safety and health performance.
Key indicators of a positive, supportive culture include:
- Organization and management values safety and health over production (e.g., people are empowered with stop work authority if presented with critical risks).
- The work environment promotes and empowers workers to freely share their thoughts through interaction, learning, and challenging the status quo without fear of retribution (i.e., psychological safety).
- Trust is established and fostered among and between managers and workers.
- Fair and equitable treatment of employees that includes recognition and reinforcement of positive safety and health actions.
- Employees report issues (e.g., hazards, near misses, and incidents) without fear of repercussion; subsequently, management is interested in learning and understanding what caused the issue(s).
- People are vigilant for hazard identification and management (i.e., find and fix).
- Leaders use formal and informal positive feedback and mentorship to build trust and confidence in management’s safety and health approach and values.
Role of Leadership Communication in Culture
Culture is driven through leadership and permeates through an entire organization. As a result, managers’ attitudes, actions, behaviors, and communication significantly impact safety culture, but not to the exclusion of workers who participate in and sustain the culture. Site leadership has a role in formal and informal reinforcement. Although positive reinforcement helps create engaged workers, what works for some employees (e.g., public recognition) may not motivate others, who could prefer one-on-one recognition. Sometimes, a simple verbal or written thank you for doing what is right reinforces safe behaviors and improves attitudes and personal values. However, rule and procedural violations or a lapse in judgment must be assessed by management and addressed appropriately and consistently.
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