ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the concept of safety culture: the fundamental underlying beliefs and values of a group of people in relation to risk and safety. Whilst much has been written about safety culture, there is little agreement on its definition, and even less on ways of improving it, despite widespread recognition that a positive safety culture is a prerequisite for successfullymanaging safety risks. In this chapter, thedefinitionandnatureof safety culture is first discussed; followedby a reviewof theoreticalmodels that elucidatemechanisms linking safety culture with safety performance, including a discussion of high-reliability organizations.Approaches to developing andmeasuring safety culture are reviewed.Ways to promote a positive safety culture are explored within the context of a risk management approach to safety.
