Measuring the Rise and Institutional Support for the Concept of “Safety Culture”

Background and Objectives.  Despite substantial controversy about its utility, use of the term “safety culture” continues to increase in the academic literature.  In this study we explore the institutional bases in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia that supported the rise of this concept and continue to promote its use.  We are in the process of examining the institutional affiliations of the authors who have used the term in research on work-related injury and safety and the funding sources that have supported this body of research.    

Methods.  A literature review was conducted to outline the development and spread of the term. Multiple databases were searched to quantitatively estimate the increase in the incidence of the term in the academic literature.  A sample of publications taken at five year intervals was selected to examine the sponsorship of these studies and authors’ institutional affiliations over time.

Results.  Preliminary results support previous studies: national and international regulatory agencies made first use of the term; authors researching the concept appear to have been most concentrated in psychology departments.  Further investigation will reveal whether this concentration has changed over time.  Other issues related to the institutional support of these studies will be assessed. 

Conclusions.  Early findings showing the dominance of psychologists researching safety culture suggests the term “culture” has been divorced from its home disciplines of anthropology and sociology.  This opens the possibility of a redefinition and application of the concept in ways not originally intended in these other disciplines.  Other implications will be addressed.