Prerequisites of ideal safety-critical organizations

TAKEUCHI Michiru¹, HIKONO Masaru², MATSUI Yuko³, GOTO Manabu⁴, and
SAKUDA Hiroshi⁵

1. Institute of Nuclear Safety System, Inc., 64 Sata Mihama-cho Fukui Pref., 919-1205 Japan (currently Institute of Elderly
    Housing Sciences, 5-5-15 Nishinakajima Yodogawa-ku Osaka, 532-0011 Japan (mtakeuchi@keiyuu-kai.or.jp))
2. Institute of Nuclear Safety System, Inc., 64 Sata Mihama-cho Fukui Pref., 919-1205 Japan (hikono.masaru@inss.co.jp)
3. Institute of Nuclear Safety System, Inc., 64 Sata Mihama-cho Fukui Pref., 919-1205 Japan (matsui@inss.co.jp)
4. Institute of Nuclear Safety System, Inc., 64 Sata Mihama-cho Fukui Pref., 919-1205 Japan (m-gotou@inss.co.jp)
5. Institute of Nuclear Safety System, Inc., 64 Sata Mihama-cho Fukui Pref., 919-1205 Japan (sakuda@inss.co.jp)

Abstract: This study explores the prerequisites of ideal safety-critical organizations, marshalling arguments of 4 areas of organizational research on safety, each of which has overlap: a safety culture, high reliability organizations (HROs), organizational resilience, and leadership especially in safety-critical organizations. The approach taken in this study was to retrieve questionnaire items or items on checklists of the 4 research areas and use them as materials of abduction (as referred to in the KJ method). The results showed that the prerequisites of ideal safety-oriented organizations consist of 9 factors as follows: (1) The organization provides resources and infrastructure to ensure safety. (2) The organization has a sharable vision. (3) Management attaches importance to safety. (4) Employees openly communicate issues and share wide-ranging information with each other. (5) Adjustments and improvements are made as the organization’s situation changes. (6) Learning activities from mistakes and failures are performed. (7) Management creates a positive work environment and promotes good relations in the workplace. (8) Workers have good relations in the workplace. (9) Employees have all the necessary requirements to undertake their own functions, and act conservatively.
Keyword: safety-critical organizations; safety culture; high reliability organization; organizational resilience