The safety culture stack – the next evolution of safety culture?

Abstract

Since its inception following the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster in 1986, safety culture has impacted a number of industries, including nuclear power, the oil and gas industry, rail, healthcare, and most recently aviation. In a number of these industries, it has become commonplace, and even integrated into the Safety Management Systems of concerned organisations. Yet there is a sense in some quarters that safety culture, while stabilised into a relatively mature process, has perhaps diminished in terms of the returns on investment for added safety. A new, inter-organisational approach to safety culture, called the Safety Culture Stack, may offer a way to rejuvenate safety culture and yield tangible safety benefits. This evolving approach is evidenced by a case study carried out at a medium-sized airport, currently involving fifteen organisations who are collaborating on safety.