How to promote a positive culture towards HSE in all matters?

What is a health and safety culture?

According to HSG65 "The safety culture of an organisation is the product of

individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies and patterns of behaviour that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organisation's health and safety management."

Signs that suggest a positive culture

The following can suggest an organisation has a positive health and safety culture:

• Visible management commitment at all levels in the organisation;

• Good knowledge and understanding of health and safety throughout the

organisation;

• Clear definition of the culture that is desired; Health & Safety 2008

• Lack of competing priorities with health and safety (e.g. production, quality,

etc);

• A realistic idea of what is achievable whilst being challenging;

• Visible evidence that investment is made into health and safety, including the

quality of the working environment, equipment provided etc.;

• Being proactive so opportunities for improvement are dealt with before

problems arise;

• Good communication up, down and across the organisation;

• A fair and just discipline system;

• Meaningful involvement of the workforce in all elements of health and safety.

Improving the health and safety culture

It is not possible to improve culture directly. Instead, it is necessary to work at

improving factors that can have a positive influence on culture. For example:

• Increase the amount of time managers spend visiting the workplace (not just

after an accident);

• Improve managers non-technical skills (e.g. communication);

• Increase levels of workforce participation in safety related problems and

solutions;

• Promote good job satisfaction and moral;

• Promote a 'just culture' where blame is only used where someone takes

reckless risks;

• Implement a competence assurance program to ensure everyone throughout the

organisation has the skills they need to work safely.

SM SERAJ ANWAR