Safety Culture Implementation Programs in a Developing Country

Safety Culture is widely recognized as a key driver in improving process safety in the USA. This paper describes two implementations of safety culture in Brazil in non-process companies. The approaches are different between the two examples presented and the paper contrasts the approaches.

One project focuses more on enhancing procedures and then monitors success with task analysis and task observations as a means to enhance safety culture. The second project uses a more conventional survey approach. The survey approach uses a combination of 3 techniques – general written questionnaire, focus groups, and 1-on-1 interviews. The application showed that questionnaires tend to bias positive whereas focus groups bias negative for the same work environment. Focus groups tended to generate the best total value, but all three approaches are valid and contribute to better understanding. Culture improvement involves training and awareness courses for managers and staff as well as ongoing surveys.

The implementation of these Brazilian projects has helped develop a broader global methodology suitable for the process industry by combining these approaches with process safety ideas from the Baker Panel and Contra Costa County approaches. Details of the survey approach compares all three approaches.