Strengthen the safety culture
How do you build a strong safety culture?
A safety culture is built on safe and risk behaviours that are reinforced or weakened within an organisation over time (Braksick, 2007). Having a strong safety culture within the organisation depends on a high proportion of safe behaviours, both among employees and leaders.
A scientifically grounded method
There is a wealth of scientific findings in the field of behavioural psychology that help us understand what safety culture is and how we can use behaviour changes to create the safety culture we want.
Behavioural analysis helps us understand why certain behaviours occur in the workplace and what sustains them. By using behaviour analysis, we can influence and change behaviours. Safety culture can be shaped by determining which behaviours should increase in frequency and which competing behaviours should decrease.
By identifying and defining safe behaviours, making it easy to carry them out, and then reinforcing them, we can systematically build a strong safety culture.
Implementing a safety culture initiative
By “safety culture,” we mean behaviours—both safe and risky—that are reinforced or weakened over time by the organisation’s conditions, structure, leadership, and employees. If we work together to create favorable conditions and encourage safe behaviours, we will strengthen the safety culture and steer it in the right direction.
This section describes the steps that, based on research in the field of behavioral psychology, should be included in efforts to strengthen the safety culture.
At Behaviour Design Group, we help you navigate around the most common pitfalls in change management to achieve measurable results and ensure lasting sustainable impact.
Management's Commitment
Management demonstrates, both in word and actions, that safety comes first—in all situations. If managers do not show that they prioritise safety, it is difficult to gain commitment from the rest of the organisation. Productivity must not come at the expense of safety. Working safely AND effectively is a key to success and significantly reduces business risks.
Confident Leadership
Leadership plays a crucial role in shaping and strengthening the safety culture. Leaders who consistently demonstrate the right leadership behaviours are able to clarify and reinforce safe behaviours that guide the organisation in the right direction. Safe leadership also entails that leaders must have the courage and persistence to correct risk behaviours, clarify the desired behavioural change and investigate underlying deficiencies. The ability to...
- define safe behaviours,
- examine the conditions necessary for them,
- reinforce safe behaviours, and
- constructively correct risk behaviours
...forms the foundation of safe leadership.
Identify Safe Behaviours
Use surveys and risk analyses, and involve employees to identify the behaviours that contribute to a safer workplace. These behaviours should then be clearly described to all employees so that they understand what is expected of them and why it is important.
Organisational Conditions
A supportive work environment where there are sufficient resources to engage in safe ways of working and where the workload is manageable promotes a positive safety culture. It should be easy to exhibit safe behaviours in everyday work. This requires that the right conditions be established for these behaviours. This includes having the right equipment, sufficient time, and clear processes and procedures.
Proactive Follow-up and Management
Leading indicators (such as the frequency of safe behaviours and safe leadership behaviours) help the organisation proactively steer its workplace safety efforts. If we rely solely on lagging indicators like LTIF, we will always be one step behind. Introducing new indicators will also create a common thread between structure and culture. We measure and track what we want to see more of, thereby demonstrating that it is important and a priority.
Psychological Safety and a Reporting Culture
It is important that employees feel comfortable reporting shortcomings and speaking up when they discover errors, without fear of negative consequences. Research shows that organisations that systematically evaluate incidents and use the insights gained to improve safety measures tend to have stronger safety cultures.
Would you like more tips and inspiration on how to strengthen the safety culture at your workplace?
Check out our video series in which Erik Matton, CEO at Behaviour Design Group, explains the cornerstones of strengthening safety cultures. The videos were produced in collaboration with Prevent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have any more questions?
Contact us and we'll be in touch.