The effects of safety training on the overall safety culture of an organisation

Silburn, Glenn Marshall

Abstract

In this dissertation the author will discuss the effects of safety training on the overall safety culture of an organisation. The research was conducted within the engineering department of Associated British Ports, within the Port of Hull.

The study was conducted to determine whether additional safety training raises the overall safety culture, and if a lack of safety training has a detrimental effect on the overall safety culture. The findings of the work when completed will assist not only ABP in determining future strategies, but also other Health and Safety practitioners working to the same goals.

The research design used a qualitative approach incorporating a questionnaire posted to 100 randomly chosen participants, and one-to-one interviews of managers and supervisors who were thought to have relevant knowledge and experience needed for this part of the study. The findings were then coded and transferred into graphical representation to allow for ease of interpretation.

The main findings of the study showed that safety training does have an effect on the overall safety culture of an organisation, but there was no conclusive evidence that higher risk operations have a better safety culture. It was also determined that everyone in the company should be involved in the safety culture, and that the drive for improvement should come from the top down.

It is concluded that safety training does have an effect on the overall safety culture. It was also acknowledged that additional benefits for participants are that they have a better understanding of issues and are more confident to make decisions.

Whilst this study may not be a representation of the whole company, it is a starting point for further research within ABP; the results of a larger study could then be compared to other companies and industries.

Citation

Silburn, G. M. (2015). The effects of safety training on the overall safety culture of an organisation. (Thesis). University of Hull. Retrieved from https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4218140

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jun 3, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 23, 2023
• Keywords: Chemistry
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4218140
• Additional Information: Department of Chemistry, The University of Hull
• Award Date: Nov 1, 2015