Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
There are various 'safety climate' assessment tools avail-
able which allow employers and responsible persons to
assess the state of their safety culture. These normally
take the form of staff questionnaires which can be used
along with tangible indicators of safety culture (see 4.3
below).
individual losses will be minimised. Table 4.1 summarises
some of the more obvious benefi ts of a positive safety
culture, for both the organisation as a whole and the indi-
viduals working within it.
4.3
Tangible indicators of safety culture
4.2.2 The benefi ts of a positive safety culture
It is never simple to discern the state of the safety cul-
ture within organisations. Some say that one can get a
'feel' for a positive or negative safety culture by visiting
the workplace or in some cases reviewing the products
or documentation of an organisation. These subjective
assessments are of limited value and rarely allow the situ-
ation at any one time to be quantifi ed, e.g. is the safety
culture worse now than it was last year?
Without quantifi able measures safety culture (as is
the case with all aspects of an organisation) cannot be
effectively managed. It is therefore vital for managers
to have some idea of the culture within their organisa-
tions. Moreover, safety culture is critical to the success
or failure of risk management within an organisation; it is
important to attempt to understand whether the safety
culture is working for or against the aims of manage-
ment. Quantifi able data is available to assist managers
assess the safety culture, from the following indicators:
The importance of creating a positive safety culture can-
not be overstated. In extreme cases a positive safety
culture can make the difference between the success or
failure of an organisation's survival.
In his report on the Ladbroke Grove rail
enquiry Lord Cullen stated: 'A key factor in
the industry is the prevailing culture, of which
safety culture is an integral part. There is a
clear link between good safety and good
business'. He then went on to quote in sub-
mission of the HSE: '. . . the need for a posi-
tive safety culture is the most fundamental
brought before the Inquiry'.
If an organisation can create and sustain a positive safety
culture each and every member of staff will be compe-
tent and committed to work safely, and business and
➤
Accident/incident occurrence and reporting rates
➤
Sickness and absenteeism
➤
Staff turnover
➤
Compliance with safety rules
➤
Complaints
➤
Table 4.1
The benefi ts of a positive safety culture
Output quality
➤
Staff involvement.
Benefi ts to the
Less time lost through accidents
organisation
Reduced risk of civil claims for
compensation
When attempting to determine the nature of an organisa-
tion's safety culture, is it vital not to draw too fi rm a con-
clusion from one single indicator. Astute managers will
recognise that there are a number of variable factors that
may infl uence any one of the indicators. More confi dence
can be placed in conclusions that are drawn from a clus-
ter of indicators, tending to suggest a similar picture.
Reduced risk of enforcement action
Enhanced company image
Greater effi ciency
Less production downtime
Minimised insurance premiums
Having a competent and committed
workforce
Making better quality decisions as a result
of involving the workforce
Benefi ts to the
Less risk of injury
4.3.1 Accident/incident occurrence and
reporting rates
individual
Less risk to work-related ill health
Less risk of work-related stress
Increased chances of continued
employment
Working for a competent and committed
team with competent and committed
management
Being clear and confi dent about what is
expected from management
Increased job satisfaction from being
empowered to contribute to safety
management
The most obvious implication to draw from accident/
incident rates or the number of fi res or false alarms is
that if they are going up period on period it is likely that
there is a negative culture. However, it is important to
consider, not only the numbers of these safety events,
but also the seriousness of the outcomes. If it is the
case that there are many reports of personal injury acci-
dents but the injuries sustained are negligible, it may
