Responsibility as a Foundation of Safety Culture

Abstract

When researchers strive to do the right thing, rather than just the required thing, a safety culture which embraces personal and communal responsibility emerges. In our experience, building a culture based on responsibility within a research group can complement and enhance institutional safety training.

Shifting Culture from Blame to Gain: Challenges and Encouragements

“…Two articles reflect on safety culture more broadly and the ongoing shift from blame culture to gain culture. McMillion et al share an important lesson from their experience launching The Safety Net , an online safety resource with the mission to “[share] safe operating procedures (SOPs) and other information on safe laboratory practices with the synthetic chemistry community”. The authors discuss how a safety culture of personal and communal responsibility is established when researchers make great efforts to do the right thingnot because of legal or institutional requirement.…”