External influences on safety culture

No organisation operates in isolation. Despite all the good intents and actions of management, the safety culture of organisations is influenced significantly by external forces which are, in the main, outside the control of management. 

It Is true to say that safety culture cannot be separated from the wider culture of an effectively managed business or operation, and that a reliable view of it should not focus on safety alone but rather on the delivery of the business objectives as a whole, including those for quality and service delivery. 

Key among the external influences impacting on the safety culture are  

The legal framework within which organisations manage safety issues should have a significant positive impact 

The mere act of employers consulting effectively with their empioyees as a result of complying with the law will result in improved working relationships and more effective risk management systems. 

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