MPC Researchers Develop Tool for Measuring Safety Culture
Posted: Jul 2, 2019
MPC researchers at the University of Denver are developing a tool to measure the effectiveness of safety culture within a company or industry. The researchers administered the Safety Culture Assessment Scale to employees of a large regional railroad at two separate times. Results demonstrated the reliability and internal consistency of the tool. Validity of the scale was demonstrated by the finding that persons scoring low on the safety culture measure were also likely to have been observed performing unsafe acts at work. Results of the risk analyses found that strong safety culture in the form of top management's commitment to safety, as measured by the assessment scale, was associated with a lower risk of actual workplace accidents or injuries.
The tool will enable before and after comparisons for safety interventions as well as comparisons of organizations to each other. It also will help identify areas within an organization that are in need of improvement. Essentially, the tool could be used to create a road map toward the development of a more robust safety culture within in an organization.
MPC researchers at the University of Denver are developing a tool to measure the effectiveness of safety culture within a company or industry. The researchers administered the Safety Culture Assessment Scale to employees of a large regional railroad at two separate times. Results demonstrated the reliability and internal consistency of the tool. Validity of the scale was demonstrated by the finding that persons scoring low on the safety culture measure were also likely to have been observed performing unsafe acts at work. Results of the risk analyses found that strong safety culture in the form of top management's commitment to safety, as measured by the assessment scale, was associated with a lower risk of actual workplace accidents or injuries.