Assessing the state of organizational safety - Culture or climate?

This article explores the concepts of safety culture and safety climate in an attempt to determine which is the more useful for describing an organiza tion's "state of safety." From a review of the literature purporting to mea sure safety culture or safety climate, it is argued that, although the two terms are often interchangeable, they are actually distinct but related con cepts and should be treated accordingly. The term "safety climate" best des cribes employees' perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs about risk and safety , typically measured by questionnaire surveys and providing a "snapshot" of the current state of safety. "Safety culture" is a more complex and enduri ng trait reflecting fundamental values, norms, assumptions and expectations , which to some extent reside in societal culture. The expression of these "cultural" elements, perhaps, can be seen through safety management practic es which are reflected in the safety climate. Basically, measurement of saf ety culture requires in-depth investigation including an analysis of how or ganizational members interact to form a shared view of safety.