07/16/2024
What is a Safety Culture?
by Ron A. Kirsch, Ph.D. | July 15, 2024 | Blog, Featured, Ron A. Kirsch, Ph.D.
Culture ’t Put Safety in a Silo Silo OHS Associates LLC
There has been a lot of talk and marketing hype over the years about Safety Culture. But what is the meaning of Safety Culture? Is there really a separate Safety Culture? Do you have a Quality Culture? How about a Productivity Culture? I’m sure most organizations have quality, productivity, and hopefully safety goals but all of these metrics are interdependent and intertwined with each other.
The main problem with the mentality of trying to establish a safety culture is that it makes safety a disconnected part of the organizational culture. A company/organization has but one culture. Quality, safety, productivity, and you can add customer service/satisfaction to the list as the four legs of the chair that support your culture. Don’t put safety in a silo!
Organizational culture starts with leadership. It begins at the senior most level of the organization, and for most organizations, that’s the CEO/President. In other organizations it may include a Board of Directors, Board of Regents, executive team, etc. But culture is also determined at every level of the organization and must be surveyed, assessed, and observed periodically for reality. Once reality (or at least perceived reality) is determined, the organization and its leaders can assess what is perhaps the vast chasm between where you are today and the vision of where you want the organization to be in the future. Then, set a realistic timeline and establish a goal and a plan to get there. The “plan” needs to remain fluid and adaptive to organizational changes, external influences, and responses for those changes. Afterall, a goal without a plan is just a wish.
At each level of the organization, specific roles and responsibilities should be clearly defined for safety just as they are for quality, productivity and customer satisfaction. That includes from the CEO on down to the supervisor and the entry level employee. For each important corporate safety initiative, you need to identify a safety champion among the top managers and task them with driving that initiative. Ownership of safety programs and performance by senior management should be as visible and transparent to the organization as other programs for quality, productivity, customer satisfaction, and financial improvement. Accountability can be demonstrated through discussion of safety performance with peers at routine management review meetings and frequent performance appraisals.
Forming and molding an organizational culture to reflect your core values is definitely the right approach but make sure it is comprehensive and in alignment with the all the organizational goals, philosophy, and values. Then you will have the right approach towards making real organizational improvements.
That’s my 2 cents. Keep the change!
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