1. SAFETY MINUTE
Building a Positive Safety Culture
Important Points
+ In a “positive” safety culture, safety is a core commitment and everyone’s
active concern as they go about their daily work. Safety focus is woven into
what we do and how we do it. It is not a discrete stand-alone, add-on function;
it is a visible element of the overall organizational culture which it helps to
shape and define. It is the essence of good teamwork.
1. Are our safety communications, including prominently the safety meeting, well-
designed and effective in activating safety awareness and safety behavior?
The importance of how we prepare for safe work and how we de-brief after
work is important to assess work planning and continuous improvement.
2. How do we deal with near misses? In a “positive” safety culture, near misses
are discussed (without jeopardy) and the lessons learned are shared across
the organization.
3. To what extent do employees actively and mindfully watch out for themselves,
but also show willingness to speak up and coach others as needed? This
includes senior co-workers and bosses. Such interactions are not common in
“traditional” safety cultures, but are a defining feature of positive ones.
4. Are safety hazards, once identified, quickly corrected, and is that corrective
action promptly communicated to the workforce?
Organizations that consistently attend to all of the above may fairly be identified
as having positive safety cultures. But this “positive” safety culture is not
sustainable without unquestioned & committed support from management.
Developing a strong safety culture
has the single greatest impact on
accident reduction of any process.
For this single reason, developing this
culture should be top priority for all
company managers and supervisors.