What is a health and safety culture?

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What is a health and safety culture?

health and safety

10 Minute read, Published: January 28, 2025

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YouTube video

Overview:

In this video, the concept of health and safety culture is unpacked with a critical and thought-provoking approach. It also draws inspiration from Carsten Busch’s book, The First Rule of Safety Culture: A Counter C-Word Manifesto. Furthermore, this video explores the history of safety culture, challenges common definitions, and provides actionable insights for improving workplace safety.

The key takeaway? Stop obsessing over the abstract term “safety culture”. Focus instead on real, actionable steps to enhance safety practices and relationships within your organisation. This video offers a fresh perspective on navigating the complexities of safety culture in modern workplaces.

What is a health and safety culture? 

Health and safety culture is a buzzword often used in workplaces, safety departments, and management meetings. But what does it actually mean? In this blog, inspired by the insights shared in the YouTube video “What is a Health and Safety Culture?” by Rebranding Safety and the book The First Rule of Safety Culture: A Counter C-Word Manifesto by Carsten Busch, we’ll break down the concept and explore actionable takeaways for improving safety in the workplace.

A Quick History of Culture in Organisations

Understanding safety culture begins with understanding the culture itself. Here’s a brief historical overview:

  • 1950s – Anthropologists and sociologists studied culture within tribes and social groups.
  • 1960s – Psychologists explored culture within organisations.
  • 1980s – Management theory adopted the concept of organisational culture.
  • Post-Chernobyl – The term “safety culture” gained prominence after the 1986 nuclear disaster as part of the response report.

Since then, academics and industry professionals have debated the definition of safety culture, leading to a lack of consensus.

Defining Safety Culture: What Are We Talking About?

Despite the widespread use of the term, there’s no single agreed-upon definition of safety culture. Here are a few perspectives:

  • “The way we do things around here” – Deal and Kennedy.
  • “Layered characteristics of shared beliefs, values, and artefacts” – Edgar Schein.
  • “The sum of shared values, principles, and behaviours” – Ethics Centre Guide.
  • James Reason: Safety culture is a blend of learning, informed, and reporting cultures.
  • Dave Snowden: Culture is an emergent property of interactions over time.

These definitions demonstrate the complexity of pinning down what culture—and, by extension, safety culture—actually means.

The Reality: Is Safety Culture a Tangible Concept?

Carsten Busch, in his book, argues that safety culture is not a physical or tangible object but a construct—a way of understanding the dynamics of a group. Busch uses an analogy about fish swimming in water to explain culture: much like the fish don’t recognise the water around them, we don’t notice culture because it’s the unseen environment in which we operate.

This perspective challenges linear approaches to improving safety culture, such as step-by-step frameworks or simplistic cause-and-effect models. Real-world interactions are messy, complex, and nonlinear.

Key Principles for Understanding Safety Culture

Busch outlines several principles for rethinking safety culture. These can be simplified into two main points:

1. Culture is a property of groups, not individuals 

It emerges from the interactions, both seen and unseen, within a group.

2. Avoid simplistic interventions 

Safety isn’t improved by working on “safety culture” alone. Instead, focus on specific, actionable improvements like enhancing reporting processes or building trust among employees.

Shifting Focus: What Should We Do Instead?

The video and book emphasise that we should stop talking about safety culture as an abstract concept and focus on practical steps:

  • Target Specific Areas – Instead of trying to “fix safety culture,” address the actual issues. For example, if reporting incidents is a challenge, focus on improving reporting mechanisms and encouraging transparency.
  • Build Relationships – Culture emerges from interactions. Strengthen relationships between teams, departments, and management to foster a collaborative environment.
  • Set Cultural Preferences – Instead of aiming for an ideal culture, identify preferences such as psychological safety, people-centred leadership, or open communication.

The Word “Culture” Isn’t Going Anywhere

While Busch advocates for dismantling the term “safety culture,” he acknowledges its staying power. It’s a term that resonates with managers and stakeholders, even if its meaning is often vague. The takeaway? Use the term strategically when needed, but stay focused on real, measurable improvements.

Final Thoughts

Health and safety culture is a complex, multifaceted construct that’s often misunderstood. To move forward:

  • Understand culture as an emergent property of interactions within groups.
  • Focus on actionable changes instead of abstract concepts.
  • Build strong relationships to foster positive workplace dynamics.

As Busch highlights, the key is to stop obsessing over culture and start addressing specific safety issues directly. By shifting the focus to actionable steps, organisations can achieve meaningful and lasting improvements.

 

If you found these insights helpful, consider how you might implement these ideas in your workplace. What specific actions can you take to improve safety, relationships, or reporting mechanisms? Share your thoughts in the comments!

For more thought-provoking discussions, check out Rebranding Safety on YouTube and explore The First Rule of Safety Culture by Carsten Busch.

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