Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 3610 AUGUST 2016 • FOGHORN FOGHORNFOCUS: SAFETY S afety Culture, is a term that is frequently used to describe most safety management systems in all sectors of the industry. No matter if you are an owner or operator of small commuter ferries to ocean-going cruise lines or something in between, every system has its own unique culture. Safety cultures are the attitudes, practices and principles of an operation related to how they mitigate risks and hazards. It exemplifies how an operation does what they say they do in relation to everything safety. A safety management system is designed to improve the safety of an organization through training, record- keeping, policies and programs, but even a well-structured system can be ineffective when a key component is missing from your system. The missing component that owners and operators fall victim to is the assump- tion that everyone within their organi- zation will participate and cooperate. The lifeblood of any safety system are your employees. They are the most important factor in the success of a system. There is no organization that can have a true safety culture unless everyone is buying-in and supporting the “safety first” mantra. So how does one create such an en- vironment? The answer is accountabil- ity and consistency. In this article, I will discuss how to steer clear of some of the top safety culture roadblocks that can sink your success by implementing accountabil- ity and consistency together into your safety management system. Accountability can be one of the most difficult areas to measure when gauging the effectiveness of a safety system. However, focusing on account- ability alone does not identify a deeper Accountability & Consistency: The Key Mixture for a Successful Safety Culture By Richard J. Paine, Jr., Hornblower Cruises & Events rooted safety culture issue, which is the full support from all levels of the operation from top level management down to the lowest rated position. The only way to obtain true support is by ensuring that you place a firm focus on creating a consistent safe work en- vironment. Accountability, in essence, is how your safety management system and top management identify responsi- bility. Responsibility can include cor- recting a safety issue, identifying a deficiency or designating a company safety officer, but as we all know, safety is not a one person job. In order for your safety culture to be successful, you need to make safety the responsibil- ity of everyone! All employees should feel confident and empowered to make their work environment safe for them- selves, their colleagues and the public. Consistency is the ingredient that holds the system together. The value of consistency cannot be described in words alone, but rather through actions, such as demonstrating the same response to safety related matters throughout your organization. Some of those areas may include enforcing safety policies and procedures, partici- pation in safety meetings and training, or reporting safety issues. Employees need to see that the consequences are the same, both positive and negative, throughout the organization and that everyone is responsible for safety throughout the organization. Employees are always judging the commitment of the organization to safety. They want to gauge if your safety culture is real or just for show. A C M Y CM MY CY CMY K SCA0102A Ad - Foghorn Jul2016.pdf 1 6/7/2016 4:32:54 PM Accountability, in essence, is how your safety management system and top management identify responsibility.