Investigating and enhancing the safety culture from the perspective of the PDCA audit process

Abstract

Background and Aim: Regarding the industrialization process, many accident control strategies have been proposed. One of the best solutions to control accidents is to improve the organizations' safety culture. The present study investigated the safety culture among profiling factory workers and implemented the Plan-Do-Check –Act (PDCA) approach to promote the safety culture.

Method: The present study was conducted over three years from 2016 to 2019. In the first step, the safety culture of the organization was measured and then the control measures were taken with a view to the Deming Cycle and the audit process approach. In the final year, the safety culture of the organization was reevaluated. The effectiveness of interventions was evaluated by statistical tests such as paired t-test and SPSS 19 software.

Results: The safety culture mean score was negative before intervention (±18433.62), which changed into the positive value of 279± 25.38 after implementing the control measures. Considering 10 dimensions of the safety
culture, dimensions of training, employee attitudes, participation and communication, and product safety priority did not received a good score. Statistical tests showed a positive effect of control interventions (P = 0.001).

Conclusion: In recent years, existence of a safety management system has dramatically improved the rate of accidents and loss of time. Safety interventions in engineering design and operational processes lead to the
promotion of the safety culture.