Culture is key to good health and safety at work
May 1st 2009

Concerned about the contribution of unsafe behaviours and poor culture to workplace accidents, the British Safety Council (BSC) has launched a review examining the benefits to organisations of creating and maintaining a positive safety culture.

Engaging with Safety Culture: a review of current thinking and practice examines the role of safety culture and puts forward a new model for effective interventions that can influence people's behaviour.

Reports from major disasters such as the Kings Cross underground fire, the Piper Alpha disaster and the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise all identified 'safety culture' as a crucial factor in the outcome of these incidents and the British Safety Council believes that a positive safety culture is essential to continued improvement in health and safety management.

Brian Nimick, Chief Executive of the BSC commented: “Sound and effective health and safety policies and systems, while vital, are not by themselves enough to produce good performance.

“Successful behavioural change is about change from the top down with active and visible involvement from managers at all levels.

Worker involvement doesn't take place in isolation.

Every business needs a framework in place and a culture that encourages everyone in that organisation to play their part in managing risks to their own health and safety and that of other people they work with.

Workers are part of the solution to health and safety issues, not the problem. That is the real answer to stopping accidents and saving lives in the workplace.”

Full report: www.britsafe.org

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