Safety culture, internal influences

Experience with causes outside the internal safety management led to the addition of two basic assumptions outside the investigated process. Fig. 4 shows that both safety culture and (internal) safety management system are influenced by the management s attitude to responsibility for safety. 

It is possible that the prevailing business environment makes it more difficult for safety professionals in some organizations to favorably influence their safety culture. Consider this excerpt from a 2005 report by the International Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) based in Paris ... 

Audit is an overview across the organisation of the entire risk management process. It should consider whether the objectives are sufficiently comprehensive to cover all hazards and their effects on all those persons (internal and external) who may be affected. It should include the objectives and management style of the directors and their influence on the safety culture of the organisation. It can use data from the review of performance to assess the strengths of the organisation and those aspects where improvement is necessary. 

While the needs of the safety management system are crucial from your perspective, you caimot change the safety culture without an understanding of the internal politics and interpersonal relationships that exist in all human undertakings. This understanding is essential for you to better position yourself as an essential part of the organization and influence leadership decisions. 

The ABSS approach leverages your internal network by establishing basic activities that must be consistently performed at a specific time and place. As activities are performed, they are tracked and reviewed to provide the ongoing development of real-time safety-related performance measurements. The objective of ABSS is to extend the influence of the safety process quickly throughout the entire organization to enhance safety awareness and in turn strengthen the safety culture. 

Consequences motivate behavior and related attitudes. This happens in various ways. Consequences can be positive or negative, intrinsic (natural) or extrinsic (extra) to a task, and internal or external to a person. These characteristics need to be considered when designing and evaluating intervention programs. This chapter explains why and provides principles arid practical procedures for motivating people to work safely over the long term. In other words, I shall show you how to influence behavior and attitudes so that both are consistent with a Total Safety Culture. 

The psychology of safety requires us to consider both external behavior and internal person factors. Chapter 15 focused on the role of person states in influencing people to actively care for another person s safety and health. Chapter 16 showed how outside factors can be manipulated to influence these person states and, thus, increase actively caring behavior. A Total Safety Culture requires integrating both behavior-based and person-based psychology. The next several principles focus on understanding "inside" factors. 

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