View article

A self-regulatory model was proposed to examine how different organisations manage safety, with particular emphasis on the human and organisational aspects. The relationships of different aspects of safety culture and safety management systems were explored through the deployment of different research measures and methods. Studies of four aircraft maintenance organisations included analysis of documentation and qualitative interviews, surveys of safety climate and attitudes, expected response to incidents and compliance with task procedures. The model was effective in analysing the salient features of each organisation' s safety management system, though it underestimated the roles of planning and change. The data from management interviews, the incidents survey and safety climate survey exhibited a large measure of agreement in differentiating between the different safety management systems …