In this episode of Risk! Engineers Talk Governance, due diligence engineers Richard Robinson and Gaye Francis revisit the topic of Safety Culture.
They review the work of Professor Patrick Hudson, who identified five levels of safety culture, from pathological (who cares as long as we're not caught) to generative (safety is how we do business around here).
Richard and Gaye observe that many organisations tend to be more reactive, focusing on implementing controls after incidents occur, rather than striving for a generative safety culture. They note that the transition from a bureaucratic, rule-based approach to a proactive, thinking-based approach is challenging, and caution the use of AI, which can lead to a lack of critical thinking.
They end with how organisations should aspire to a generative safety culture, even though it may be an aspirational goal, and highlight the need for clear commitment to safety at all levels of the organisation, rather than just from Board level.
For further information on Richard and Gaye’s consulting work with R2A, head to https://www.r2a.com.au, where you’ll also find their booklets (store) and a sign-up for their quarterly newsletter to keep informed of their latest news and events.
Gaye is also founder of Australian women’s safety workwear company Apto PPE https://www.aptoppe.com.au.
