Barriers and enablers to building and sustaining an organisational safety culture

Speaker: Lynnaire Sheridan

This seminar presentation explores the evolving understanding of safety culture within complex organisational systems. Drawing on insights from work health and safety research, the session examines how organisations move beyond compliance-driven systems toward genuinely embedded safety behaviours.

The discussion reflects on major industrial incidents and the limitations of relying solely on formal procedures and documentation. Building on the work of scholars such as James Reason, Patrick Hudson, and Sydney Dekker, the presentation highlights the importance of cultural diagnosis, collective mindfulness, and leadership approaches that foster internal motivation rather than surface-level compliance.

Key themes include:

• The limits of system-based safety models

• The role of organisational culture and diagnostic frameworks

• Collective mindfulness and proactive risk awareness

• Leadership, empowerment, and intrinsic motivation

• The tension between production pressures and safety priorities

The recording below captures the full session, offering both theoretical foundations and practical reflections relevant to food safety and organisational practice.