SpringerBriefs in applied sciences and technology, Dec 31, 2022
This concluding chapter on visualisation for, and of, safety, weaves together ideas put forward b... more This concluding chapter on visualisation for, and of, safety, weaves together ideas put forward by the volume's contributors. It analyses how visualisations and their role have changed over time, their co-evolution with key concepts in safety science and impact on cognitive representations built by practitioners, whether success should be assessed by level of adoption or by impacts on safety outcomes. A number of open questions for future research are outlined.
The project aimed at studying the concept of nuclear safety culture and the Nordic nuclear branch... more The project aimed at studying the concept of nuclear safety culture and the Nordic nuclear branch safety culture. The project also aimed at looking how the power companies and the regulators view the current responsibilities and role of subcontractors in the Nordic nuclear safety culture as well as to inspect the special demands for safety culture in subcontracting chains. Interview data was collected in Sweden (n = 14) and Finland (n = 16) during 2009. Interviewees represented the major actors in the nuclear field (regulators, power companies, expert organizations, waste management organizations). Results gave insight into the nature and evaluation of safety culture in the nuclear industry. Results illustrated that there is a wide variety of views on matters that are considered important for nuclear safety within the Nordic nuclear community. However, the interviewees considered quite uniformly such psychological states as motivation, mindfulness, sense of control, understanding of hazards and sense of responsibility as important for nuclear safety. Results also gave insight into the characteristics of Nordic nuclear culture. Various differences in safety cultures in Finland and Sweden were uncovered. In addition to the differences, historical reasons for the development of the nuclear safety cultures in Finland and Sweden were pointed out. Finally, results gave implications that on the one hand subcontractors can bring new ideas and improvements to the plants' practices, but on the other hand the assurance of necessary safety attitudes and competence of the subcontracting companies and their employees is considered as a challenge. The report concludes that a good safety culture requires a deep and wide understanding of nuclear safety including the various accident mechanisms of the power plants as well as a willingness to continuously develop one's competence and understanding. An effective and resilient nuclear safety culture has to foster a constant sense of unease that prevents complacency yet at the same time it has to foster a certain professional pride and a feeling of accomplishment to maintain work motivation and healthy occupational identity. The report gives several recommendations for further developing nuclear safety culture in Finland and Sweden.
The change of personnel generation is an important challenge faced in the nuclear power productio... more The change of personnel generation is an important challenge faced in the nuclear power production. This study focused on the competence management and the change of the operators' generation in a Finnish nuclear power plant (NPP). The competence management was examined in two different ways. First, it was studied from a knowledge management point of view, and secondly, from a learning in work point of view. The first aim of the study was clarify mechanisms and factors, which were assumed to affect the development of the operators' expertise. The considered mechanisms were emotional and cultural control of behavior. The second aim of the study was to develop a general model for analyzing operators' possibilities to learning in work. In addition, this study discussed the applicability of two current learning theories for the development of practical training. A result of the study was the model of learning process, which defines factors and mechanisms interacting in the development of operator trainees into skilful operators in high reliability organizations. The central mechanisms were earning the trust of social group and constructing self-confidence. Based on the results of the study there is a challenge to develop common tools and practices for the trainees' goal-oriented, question-directed and gradually deepening learning and the legitimate participation in the social group in NPP. The study also produced new information of the operators' core task. A demand of the core task is developing and maintaining the competence in a daily work.
The role of safety professionals in organizations - developing and testing a framework of competing safety management principles
Safety professionals have a key role in influencing the safety of an industrial organization. Rel... more Safety professionals have a key role in influencing the safety of an industrial organization. Relatively little research attention has been paid to this professional group. Many safety professionals apply the principles that underlie their field of technical expertise or refer to lay theories and folk models of human behavior. Recent conceptualizations of organizations as complex adaptive systems have put further challenges in our understanding of safety professionals' work. What is the role of a safety professional in a system that is inherently unpredictable, as complex adaptive systems theories proclaim? In light of our increased understanding of the complexity and dynamics of safety-critic al organizations is there a need to rethink the role of safety professionals? The paper will focus on the underlying principles that the safety professionals rely on in their work. The study design is a longitudinal study of nine safety professionals in three different safety-critical organizations. A model of eight distinct management principles is tested and mechanisms that influence the formation of each professional's role are identified. The potential tensions between the different principles will be discussed as well as the influencing mechanisms in defining which principles are emphasized and which not.
Reconceptualization of the competing values framework tailored for management of nuclear power plants
Focus on safety vs. focus on production/economy is often mentioned as opposing goals, at least in... more Focus on safety vs. focus on production/economy is often mentioned as opposing goals, at least in the short term. Other potentially conflicting values and goals have also been identified, such as c ...
Safety culture of different transport modes. A preliminary study
The concept of safety culture has long been used by organizations in the assessment and developme... more The concept of safety culture has long been used by organizations in the assessment and development of their safety. However, the concept is theoretically challenging and multifaceted. The objective of this pre-study was to investigate how the safety culture of different transport modes (aviation, maritime, rail, road) can be compared, and how the safety culture of a whole transport system can be investigated in practice. The characteristics of a transport system are described in this pre-study from the point of view of safety culture. Both the safety management and operation/control of traffic differ among transport modes, in addition to which each transport mode has special safety-related characteristics (e.g. different hazards and different risks of catastrophe). This pre-study also summarises the methods and findings from earlier studies related to safety culture in the transport system. Most of the previous studies have tried to identify dimensions of culture that are general and fundamental from a safety perspective. However, the number of studies that compare transport modes is limited. Earlier studies do not in most cases define the requirements for a good safety culture. Previous studies have reported variations among both organisations and organisation subgroups. It is fairly typical for the safety culture to be assessed in a more positive light by a manager than by employees. In addition, safety culture differs among national cultures. The operations of transport agencies or the societal level of safety culture has barely been explored. Moreover, the number of longitudinal studies or impact studies, which investigate the development of the culture and how it can be directed at its different levels, is quite small. The concept of safety culture can be applied to the investigation of a transport system. However, it is essential to recognise at which level (e.g. individual, operational organisation, society) the transport sector is under investigation at the time. In addition, the applicability of the concept of safety culture is related to how broadly or narrowly the safety culture has been understood. The safety culture should be viewed broadly from the standpoint of structures (e.g. technique, rules), attitudes, values and norms, practices and actions as well as understanding and knowledge. At least we should be aware of what will be missed if the investigation of safety culture is conducted more narrowly. Comparisons between transport modes should be made carefully. Instead of direct comparison or transfer of practices it could be more valuable to compare the critical factors and challenges of safety management. The three research questions that should be further addressed based on this pre-study are: 1) how the safety culture of different transport modes can be compared and developed, 2) what is a good authority safety culture that is capable in the best possible way of influencing the safety culture of other stakeholders in the transport system, and 3) how the level of safety culture should be followed in each organisation. The studies should on the one hand try to understand local and mode-specific characteristics, while on the other produce a general theory and models of safety management. The studies related to safety culture should exploit both qualitative and quantitative methods.
On the relation between culture, safety culture and safety management
Safety can be considered an emergent phenomenon, making a systems view imperative if the aim is t... more Safety can be considered an emergent phenomenon, making a systems view imperative if the aim is to evaluate or develop the safety of an entire sociotechnical system. This paper deals with one important component of the systems view - the relation between culture and management. Specifically, we will inspect how the concepts of culture and safety culture can be used in conjunction with the concept of safety management in facilitating a more dynamic systems view on safety. The paper proposes a model of eight cultural archetypes and illustrates how these relate to both safety culture and safety management in organizations.
Reiman, Teemu. Organisaatiokulttuuri Säteilyturvakeskuksen Ydinvoimalaitosten valvonta-osastolla.... more Reiman, Teemu. Organisaatiokulttuuri Säteilyturvakeskuksen Ydinvoimalaitosten valvonta-osastolla. Kvalitatiivinen ja kvantitatiivinen tapaustutkimus henkilöstön käsityksistä organisaation kulttuurista [Organisational culture at the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland's Nuclear Reactor Regulation department]. Espoo 2001. Valtion teknillinen tutkimuskeskus, VTT Julkaisuja-Publikationer 853. 89 s. + liitt. 6 s.
SpringerBriefs in applied sciences and technology, Dec 31, 2022
This concluding chapter on visualisation for, and of, safety, weaves together ideas put forward b... more This concluding chapter on visualisation for, and of, safety, weaves together ideas put forward by the volume's contributors. It analyses how visualisations and their role have changed over time, their co-evolution with key concepts in safety science and impact on cognitive representations built by practitioners, whether success should be assessed by level of adoption or by impacts on safety outcomes. A number of open questions for future research are outlined.
The project aimed at studying the concept of nuclear safety culture and the Nordic nuclear branch... more The project aimed at studying the concept of nuclear safety culture and the Nordic nuclear branch safety culture. The project also aimed at looking how the power companies and the regulators view the current responsibilities and role of subcontractors in the Nordic nuclear safety culture as well as to inspect the special demands for safety culture in subcontracting chains. Interview data was collected in Sweden (n = 14) and Finland (n = 16) during 2009. Interviewees represented the major actors in the nuclear field (regulators, power companies, expert organizations, waste management organizations). Results gave insight into the nature and evaluation of safety culture in the nuclear industry. Results illustrated that there is a wide variety of views on matters that are considered important for nuclear safety within the Nordic nuclear community. However, the interviewees considered quite uniformly such psychological states as motivation, mindfulness, sense of control, understanding of hazards and sense of responsibility as important for nuclear safety. Results also gave insight into the characteristics of Nordic nuclear culture. Various differences in safety cultures in Finland and Sweden were uncovered. In addition to the differences, historical reasons for the development of the nuclear safety cultures in Finland and Sweden were pointed out. Finally, results gave implications that on the one hand subcontractors can bring new ideas and improvements to the plants' practices, but on the other hand the assurance of necessary safety attitudes and competence of the subcontracting companies and their employees is considered as a challenge. The report concludes that a good safety culture requires a deep and wide understanding of nuclear safety including the various accident mechanisms of the power plants as well as a willingness to continuously develop one's competence and understanding. An effective and resilient nuclear safety culture has to foster a constant sense of unease that prevents complacency yet at the same time it has to foster a certain professional pride and a feeling of accomplishment to maintain work motivation and healthy occupational identity. The report gives several recommendations for further developing nuclear safety culture in Finland and Sweden.
The change of personnel generation is an important challenge faced in the nuclear power productio... more The change of personnel generation is an important challenge faced in the nuclear power production. This study focused on the competence management and the change of the operators' generation in a Finnish nuclear power plant (NPP). The competence management was examined in two different ways. First, it was studied from a knowledge management point of view, and secondly, from a learning in work point of view. The first aim of the study was clarify mechanisms and factors, which were assumed to affect the development of the operators' expertise. The considered mechanisms were emotional and cultural control of behavior. The second aim of the study was to develop a general model for analyzing operators' possibilities to learning in work. In addition, this study discussed the applicability of two current learning theories for the development of practical training. A result of the study was the model of learning process, which defines factors and mechanisms interacting in the development of operator trainees into skilful operators in high reliability organizations. The central mechanisms were earning the trust of social group and constructing self-confidence. Based on the results of the study there is a challenge to develop common tools and practices for the trainees' goal-oriented, question-directed and gradually deepening learning and the legitimate participation in the social group in NPP. The study also produced new information of the operators' core task. A demand of the core task is developing and maintaining the competence in a daily work.
The role of safety professionals in organizations - developing and testing a framework of competing safety management principles
Safety professionals have a key role in influencing the safety of an industrial organization. Rel... more Safety professionals have a key role in influencing the safety of an industrial organization. Relatively little research attention has been paid to this professional group. Many safety professionals apply the principles that underlie their field of technical expertise or refer to lay theories and folk models of human behavior. Recent conceptualizations of organizations as complex adaptive systems have put further challenges in our understanding of safety professionals' work. What is the role of a safety professional in a system that is inherently unpredictable, as complex adaptive systems theories proclaim? In light of our increased understanding of the complexity and dynamics of safety-critic al organizations is there a need to rethink the role of safety professionals? The paper will focus on the underlying principles that the safety professionals rely on in their work. The study design is a longitudinal study of nine safety professionals in three different safety-critical organizations. A model of eight distinct management principles is tested and mechanisms that influence the formation of each professional's role are identified. The potential tensions between the different principles will be discussed as well as the influencing mechanisms in defining which principles are emphasized and which not.
Reconceptualization of the competing values framework tailored for management of nuclear power plants
Focus on safety vs. focus on production/economy is often mentioned as opposing goals, at least in... more Focus on safety vs. focus on production/economy is often mentioned as opposing goals, at least in the short term. Other potentially conflicting values and goals have also been identified, such as c ...
Safety culture of different transport modes. A preliminary study
The concept of safety culture has long been used by organizations in the assessment and developme... more The concept of safety culture has long been used by organizations in the assessment and development of their safety. However, the concept is theoretically challenging and multifaceted. The objective of this pre-study was to investigate how the safety culture of different transport modes (aviation, maritime, rail, road) can be compared, and how the safety culture of a whole transport system can be investigated in practice. The characteristics of a transport system are described in this pre-study from the point of view of safety culture. Both the safety management and operation/control of traffic differ among transport modes, in addition to which each transport mode has special safety-related characteristics (e.g. different hazards and different risks of catastrophe). This pre-study also summarises the methods and findings from earlier studies related to safety culture in the transport system. Most of the previous studies have tried to identify dimensions of culture that are general and fundamental from a safety perspective. However, the number of studies that compare transport modes is limited. Earlier studies do not in most cases define the requirements for a good safety culture. Previous studies have reported variations among both organisations and organisation subgroups. It is fairly typical for the safety culture to be assessed in a more positive light by a manager than by employees. In addition, safety culture differs among national cultures. The operations of transport agencies or the societal level of safety culture has barely been explored. Moreover, the number of longitudinal studies or impact studies, which investigate the development of the culture and how it can be directed at its different levels, is quite small. The concept of safety culture can be applied to the investigation of a transport system. However, it is essential to recognise at which level (e.g. individual, operational organisation, society) the transport sector is under investigation at the time. In addition, the applicability of the concept of safety culture is related to how broadly or narrowly the safety culture has been understood. The safety culture should be viewed broadly from the standpoint of structures (e.g. technique, rules), attitudes, values and norms, practices and actions as well as understanding and knowledge. At least we should be aware of what will be missed if the investigation of safety culture is conducted more narrowly. Comparisons between transport modes should be made carefully. Instead of direct comparison or transfer of practices it could be more valuable to compare the critical factors and challenges of safety management. The three research questions that should be further addressed based on this pre-study are: 1) how the safety culture of different transport modes can be compared and developed, 2) what is a good authority safety culture that is capable in the best possible way of influencing the safety culture of other stakeholders in the transport system, and 3) how the level of safety culture should be followed in each organisation. The studies should on the one hand try to understand local and mode-specific characteristics, while on the other produce a general theory and models of safety management. The studies related to safety culture should exploit both qualitative and quantitative methods.
On the relation between culture, safety culture and safety management
Safety can be considered an emergent phenomenon, making a systems view imperative if the aim is t... more Safety can be considered an emergent phenomenon, making a systems view imperative if the aim is to evaluate or develop the safety of an entire sociotechnical system. This paper deals with one important component of the systems view - the relation between culture and management. Specifically, we will inspect how the concepts of culture and safety culture can be used in conjunction with the concept of safety management in facilitating a more dynamic systems view on safety. The paper proposes a model of eight cultural archetypes and illustrates how these relate to both safety culture and safety management in organizations.
Reiman, Teemu. Organisaatiokulttuuri Säteilyturvakeskuksen Ydinvoimalaitosten valvonta-osastolla.... more Reiman, Teemu. Organisaatiokulttuuri Säteilyturvakeskuksen Ydinvoimalaitosten valvonta-osastolla. Kvalitatiivinen ja kvantitatiivinen tapaustutkimus henkilöstön käsityksistä organisaation kulttuurista [Organisational culture at the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland's Nuclear Reactor Regulation department]. Espoo 2001. Valtion teknillinen tutkimuskeskus, VTT Julkaisuja-Publikationer 853. 89 s. + liitt. 6 s.
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