SAFETY MINUTE

Building a Positive Safety Culture

Important Points

+ In a “positive” safety culture, safety is a core commitment and everyone’s

active concern as they go about their daily work. Safety focus is woven into

what we do and how we do it. It is not a discrete stand-alone, add-on function;

it is a visible element of the overall organizational culture which it helps to

shape and define. It is the essence of good teamwork.

1. Are our safety communications, including prominently the safety meeting, well-

designed and effective in activating safety awareness and safety behavior?

The importance of how we prepare for safe work and how we de-brief after

work is important to assess work planning and continuous improvement.

2. How do we deal with near misses? In a “positive” safety culture, near misses

are discussed (without jeopardy) and the lessons learned are shared across

the organization.

3. To what extent do employees actively and mindfully watch out for themselves,

but also show willingness to speak up and coach others as needed? This

includes senior co-workers and bosses. Such interactions are not common in

“traditional” safety cultures, but are a defining feature of positive ones.

4. Are safety hazards, once identified, quickly corrected, and is that corrective

action promptly communicated to the workforce?

Organizations that consistently attend to all of the above may fairly be identified

as having positive safety cultures. But this “positive” safety culture is not

sustainable without unquestioned & committed support from management.

Developing a strong safety culture

has the single greatest impact on

accident reduction of any process.

For this single reason, developing this

culture should be top priority for all

company managers and supervisors.