HAZOP for safety culture: a novel safety culture index

Safety culture, defined as the shared values, attitudes and behaviours toward workplace safety, plays a vital role in preventing accidents and ensuring workforce well-being. This article presents a novel method for assessing safety culture using the Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP), a structured approach for identifying and mitigating process-related risks. We propose that HAZOP can be effectively applied to analyze an organization's Integrated Vibrant Safety Management System (IVSMS) and develop a Safety Culture Index (SCI). The IVSMS comprises 21 elements, including Industry 4.0, Process Safety Management, and Occupational Safety and Health, offering a comprehensive view of safety practices. While these elements are typically weighted equally, our approach accounts for their varying impacts on safety performance, enabling more targeted interventions. These weightings can be adapted to suit different organizations. By evaluating each element through HAZOP, we can uncover strengths and gaps in risk management, communication and mitigation. The resulting SCI provides a quantifiable measure of safety culture, supporting benchmarking and continuous improvement. Strengthening safety culture through this method not only enhances safety outcomes but also contributes to organizational resilience and success.