Safety Culture

Dr. Purdy speaks to the issue of research safety (click photo above)

The term Safety Culture was first introduced by the International Atomic Energy Agency as a result of their analysis of the tragic nuclear reactor accident at Chernobyl:

The Safety Culture of an organization is the product of the individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies and patterns of behavior that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organization’s health and safety management.

Environmental Health & Safety actively develops partnerships with research laboratories to evaluate, maintain and improve safety culture. Several indicators of a good Safety Culture:

• Visible Management Commitment
• Good Safety Communication
• Safety over Productivity/Profit
• Learning Organization
• High Participation in Safety
• Sufficient Health and Safety Resources
• Low Level of Risk-Taking Practices

Additional readings on Safety Culture:

• 7 Keys for Creating a Safety Culture by Aubrey Daniel
• Safety Culture and How to Improve It by George Robotham Safety
• Relative Culture Strength - A Key to Sustainable World-Class Safety Performance by DuPont
• Creating Safety Cultures in Academic Institutions by the American Chemical Society
• National Safety Month by the National Safety Council