Given that our primary audience is Maritime professionals, and that safety is important to our industry, I prefer to start with the premise that every operation has a positive safety culture. I like the definition that is offered: “Safety culture is the way safety is perceived, valued and prioritized in an organisation. It reflects the real commitment to safety at all levels in organisation.” If your organization has made a commitment to implement a safety management system, you have at least some measure of a positive safety culture.

Since the advent of safety management systems (SMS) at the beginning of this century, there have been many articles written about safety culture. Does anyone actually think about his or her safety culture, either individually or as an organisation? To paraphrase Mark Twain, “Safety culture is like the weather. Everyone talks about it, but nobody does anything about it.” Some maintain that every organisation has a safety culture. It might be weak or strong, or somewhere in between. It might even be measured in negative terms – worse than if the organisation had a neutral approach to safety. But every organization has a specific way of dealing with safety issues. It may not be motivated entirely by a concern for safety (e.g., the National Regulator AMSA, MNZ, MCA, your insurance company or a competitor may have been a motivating factor), but at least you’re moving in that direction. You have to be true to the principles; otherwise the SMS will soon be recognized as a sham by employees and outside observers.

To assure success, managers must continually nurture the growth of a positive safety culture throughout the organisation. Periodically measuring the status of your safety culture would be a valuable tool in promising that continuous growth. The Safety Culture Model looks at each profile in terms of people and their behaviours. People drive the culture from either top down (management) or bottom up (employees). Both are essential to create a well-balanced safety culture. Keeping this in mind, let’s look at each of the four profiles.

Top Management

The first safety culture profile is called “Top Management”, Top Management culture pays attention to the involvement and commitment from the accountable executive(s) within the enterprise/corporation. Leading a safety initiative from the top down is the only way SMS can become embedded into the company culture.

Just Culture

The second profile is called “Just Culture”, which has a top-down emphasis as well since it relies on upper management to communicate, support and uphold the concept for a Just Culture. A Just Culture is one where front-line operators and others are not punished for their actions, omissions or decisions that are commensurate with their experience or training; but where gross negligence, wilful violations and destructive acts are not tolerated. Open communication and reporting any safety-related information should be encouraged.

Full Participation

The third profile is called “Full Participation”, which is sensitive to safety relationships and communication among the team. It relies on a bottom-up approach, where the team is proactively involved in all aspects of safety. Organisations often have strong participation when a strong Just Culture exists.

Continuous Improvement

The fourth profile is called “Continuous Improvement” which is bottom-up focused. The team looks for ways to improve the safety of the operation through full participation, and supports changes to policies and procedures. Following SOPs, conducting internal audits and investigating safety issues/concerns are all ways to ensure continuous improvement. A safety operation never becomes static; it is always in continuous motion striving to identify future hazards before they become a threat to the operation. While the Safety Culture Model provides a platform for measuring and interpreting an organisation’s safety culture, your reviews (section 12 of the SMS) should include a well-rounded look at how the safety culture is reflected in the applications processes. How consistently does the organization use the various SMS tools? How thorough is their reporting and follow-up? Do they utilize outside resources in addressing their safety concerns? Are corrective actions appropriate and complete? The picture that evolves from these reviews is usually an accurate depiction of the operator’s level of maturity in SMS development.

Ensure you encourage a safe and positive working culture with your crew, by keeping an up to date Safety Management System.