Posted By Sean Fraser Ian, A tough problem and one we are all sympathic with, if not familiar. To me, safety culture is of primary importance. A good SMS only supports safety in the workplace - it is attitude and behaviour that drives it. To do this, the critical element is top management authority - if they back it to the hilt then it will work. If they don't, then no amount of cajoling, exhortation or threats will improve the situation. They have to WANT to do it and it has to be fully contributory by all concerned. It cannot be provided for them. What I would suggest you need is a senior management "champion" - someone with the strategic authority to support you by walking the talk. It must not only be done, but seen to be done. The resources need to be authorised and the will needs to be there when it comes time to take the tough decisions - not only does there need to be time and money to drive change, but you need to be sure that if you make the call then it will be backed up. And there needs to be the carrot and the stick - rewards those who do well and "punish" the ones who do badly. It should be easy to comply with system requirements - difficult, complex reporting systems and activities are a deterrent, so keep it simple. Report and highlight good practice as an example for others to follow. Share problems. Allocate Focal Points. Discipline bad behaviours and follow through - don't threaten discipline or dismissal and then not do it (and make sure HR and unions are on board). Be consistent, and be seen to be consistent. Have established common policies and principles - there is nothing worse than conflicting statments as these are eagerly seized upon by the small but often vocal detractors to discredit the whole system - unfair, but thats human behaviour for you. Be factual, accurate and honest - counter local myths and legends with truth. Have common measurement systems for cross-reporting and comparative benchmarking. First action, I would suggest, is consultation - what do people see as happening now, what do they want, and what do they suggest needs done to get there? Unleash your greatest resource - your people. With the right knowledge, they can analyse sitautions foir themselves and come up with practical solutions to ahieve the desired end result - then implement them (buy-in, as it is called). They might not see "you" as the enemy - perhaps you simply represent to them an ineffective and inefficient system. They might not understand the benefits of an effective SMS (or any management system for that matter) - do you provide information that shows how it can and does help save money AND protect people? Communication is key, and it cuts both ways. Only by working together can we achieve improvement. There is so much more I could add, but I won't. I'll email you directly if you want to chat some more on it.

Posted By Merv Newman Ian, recommend that you take plenty of time to study Sean's reply. It's the most sensible and concise answer I've seen to this problem (even though he takes about a thousand words to say it !) At the very least do your best to be positive about safety - it's good to be safe and we are proud of how safe we are. And the most difficult part of all that (apart from getting management comitment) is to identify the good things/people and making sure they are rewarded and reinforced. Good luck Merv Newman

Posted By Ian Waldram I agree with all that has been said. If you want a pretty simple tool to try to 'measure' what your culture is now and what might be done to change it, there are two good references which may be easier to start with than the HSE climate tool: - 'Changing Minds', can be downloaded from www.stepchangeinsafety.net Though developed for offshore, the Safety Culture Maturity Model is more widely applicable. Just ask a few people to mark where they think the organisation is in each of the categories. Whichever area is the lowest, that is where you actually are now! The rest of this reference is full of ideas re what you might do then, depending on the results; - 'Respect for People' toolbox, £25, developed for the construction industry, but again can be used in other areas. Has several simple questionnaires and a good visual way of recording the results. Available from www.rethinkingconstruction.org.uk Also HSE guidance on 'Reducing error and influencing behaviour' is full of practical advice, HSG48. IOSH expects to update our guidance on H&S culture in the next few months. Sorry I can't send you anything yet, but it's nearing its final draft format! All of these references are included.