Handbook for Process Safety in Laboratories and Pilot Plants

5 Process Safety Culture in the LAPP

5.1 RBPS Element 1: Process Safety Culture

The Process Safety Culture of an organization is a requirement for managing process safety risks effectively. A positive safety culture, both personal and in the organizational leadership, helps ensure that process safety is embodied in decision‐making and in day‐to‐day activities. Process safety culture is the common set of values, behaviors, and norms in the LAPP that affect process safety [1].

A Process safety culture is defined as:

The normal way things are done at a facility, company, or organization, reflecting expected organizational values, beliefs, and behaviors, that set the priority, commitment, and resource levels for safety programs and performance [33].

The organization’s process safety culture strongly influences attitudes and behaviors of individuals of an organization. The leadership commitment is important, since in a committed culture:

…executives involve themselves personally, managers and supervisors drive excellent execution every day, and all employees maintain a sense of vigilance and vulnerability [34].

Leadership is the key to develop and support the LAPP’s process safety culture through their actions. They demonstrate the values and behaviors expected in all levels of the organization. This section on culture provides:

• a historical perspective on the concept of safety culture and cases of where a poor or inadequate safety culture was a major factor in severe incidents ...