Organisational safety culture

The status of a certain organisation on all of the above points in this chapter may be summarised by speaking of its safety culture. Lucas (1992) distinguishes three major types of organisational safety culture ... 

Figure 6.1 summarises the relationship between Lucas (1992) types of organisational safety culture and their predominant model of human error on one hand, and Westrum s (1988) tripartite division of organisations on the other. 

A literature review shows that very few models of organisation (safety) culture exist. Whilst there are differing perspectives within the hroad definition of safety culture there appears to be general agreements... 

Most organisational safety culture assessments are not carried out for their own sake. Management is either interested in a diagnosis to compare it with a previous one or to benchmark with peer organisations, or the diagnosis is followed by... 

Figure 2.3 Generic influences on the development process of (organisational safety) culture...

Patient safety culture is a reasonably new development of the organisational safety culture constmct. As with other types of culture, the addition patient safety serves as a qualifler for the general concept of organisational culture. By using this qualifier the proposition is made that an organisational culture can be conducive, or uirfavourable, to patient safety. 

Diaz-Cabrera, D., Hemandez-Femaud, E. and Isla-Diaz, R. 2007. An evaluation of a new instrument to measure organisational safety culture values and practices. Accident Analysis Prevention, 39(6), 1202-11. 

Transport Safety Victoria. 2014. Safety culture elements and sub-elements organizational safety culture appraisal tool. Transport Safety Victoria. http //www.transportsafety. vic.gov.au/rail-safety/safety-improvement/organisational-safety-culture-appraisal-tool/ using-oscat/safety-culture-elements, downloaded February 28, 2014. 

Safety culture pervading within the organisation Safety culture comparisons with competitors/similar organisations... 

Achieve a positive organisational safety culture, where risk control is accepted as a normal part of life rather than an add-on. 

Parker, D., M. Lawiie, and P. Hudson. A framework for understanding the development of organisational safety culture. Scfety Science, 2006, 44 551-562. 

---