Paperwork culture

A second type of dysfunctional safety culture might be termed a paperwork culture. In these organizations, employees spend all their time proving the system is safe but little time actually doing the things necessary to make it so. After the Nimrod aircraft loss in Afghanistan in 2006, the accident report noted a culture of paper safety at the expense of real safety [78]. 

To deposit cells (or tissues) at the repositories a frozen vial or a subconfluent culture in a 25 cm2 flask filled completely with growth medium is required. In the latter case the neck of the flask should be taped and the flask wrapped in pop-film in a polystyrene box or jiffy bag. The package should be kept at room temperature and delivered by the fastest route. Depositories require documentation before they will accept samples and the appropriate paperwork must be completed before the cells are despatched. 

Germany s defeat in war separates the two events. With a keen eye for deciphering the hieroglyphs of mass-reproduced culture, Benjamin calls for an analysis of the tokens that pass between people, so often unseen. What might this paperwork reveal about the state of things ... 

The physical work conditions are the result of a safety management system and are a visual indicator of a positive culture or lack thereof. No amount of paperwork or policies, meetings, or other safety activities can be said to be working if the physical conditions of the plant are not immaculate. The physical state of the workplace is a reflection of the efficiency of the safety system. 

Certain cultures do have safety as one of their major constituent values, and not a priority. Other cultures make it very clear that safety is unimportant. In the latter, almost nothing will work meetings will be boring, and job hazard analyses (JHAs) are perceived only as paperwork [3,4]. 

To encourage a culture of safety in which individuals know the safety aspects of their actions and are motivated to think about safety, the agency will need to adopt and evolve an evaluation system for SEMS that emphasizes the assessment of attitudes and actions rather than documentation and paperwork. 

---