ABSTRACT
Many major breakdowns of safety control are the result of socio-technical problems. Risk management strategies to improve system reliability have yet to fully reflect the organisational precursors to disasters. A corporate safety culture is defined as the set of beliefs, norms, attitudes, roles, and social and technical practices concerned with minimising exposure to hazards. Possible aspects of a good safety culture include: the widening of responsibility for safety to include strategic management issues; appropriate corporate attitudes towards safety; comprehensive norms and rules for dealing with hazards; and ongoing reflection upon safety related practice. It is argued that attention to risk management through the development of appropriate safety cultures will be in the long-term business interest of many organisations dealing with hazards.
