Aviation Safety Management

Key Features for Developing and Maintaining a Just Culture                 The following list outlines some of the key features that need to be addressed when developing and maintaining a Just Culture in an organisation: Just Culture policy documented. Definitions agreed about what is “acceptable” behaviour, and what is “not acceptable”. (Note: these will be specific to, and aligned with, values derived from national, organizational and professional cultures). Sanctions agreed for unacceptable behaviour. Process to deal with actions in the “grey area”. Just Culture policy communicated throughout the organisation. Reporting systems linked to Just Culture policy. Fair treatment being applied. Breaches of the policy being monitored (e.g., error punished or violations excused). Reports being followed-up; actions taken to address error-producing condition

                          Culture is characterized by the beliefs, values, biases and their resultant behaviour that are shared among members of a society, group or organization. An understanding of these cultural components, and the interactions among them, is important to safety management. Among the most influential cultural components are organizational, professional, and national. A reporting culture is key component of these different cultures. The mix of cultural components may vary greatly among organizations and can negatively influence effective hazard reporting, collaborative root cause analysis, and acceptable risk mitigation. Continous improvement in safety performance is possible when safety becomes a value within an organization as well as a priority at the national or professional level .                         Safety Culture encompasses th...