So safety culture. A phrase that seems to creep into almost any discussion on safety these days - the question is do we actually know what it means or has it become a rainbow statement with little real value or meaning. The concept or Organisational Cultures within psychology has a long history and evidence shows the "culture" will always exist in the workplace - there may be variations on that culture, but we can pick out strong consistent themes in most successful companies. Now for many companies the culture differs and how people view the world differs dependent on status. How many companies struggle along with management believing one thing and those at the sharp end having somewhat different views. There are many definitions of Culture - but in a way I've always liked the simplicity of "the way we do things here". In a way that summarises everything we need to know - successful companies generally have broadly shared views on how things are done within a company underpinned by a shared belief. Probably the best modern examples being Google and Apple - both have strong messages, brand identity and company values are largely shared throughout the company. If you're considering a safety culture programme ask the questions above - and when talking to consultants and advisors see who discusses whats already in place. But golden rule should always be get the basics right and your culture will largely follow anyway - but once you've the got the basics right cultural change programmes will help you take the final steps to better safety.
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