Assessing safety culture in the Spanish nuclear industry through the use of working groups

• Published in: Safety science 2012-06, Vol.50 (5), p.1237-1246
• Main Authors: Mariscal, M.A., Herrero, S. García, Toca Otero, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Assessment; Biological and medical sciences; EFQM model; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; Fission nuclear power plants; Installations for energy generation and conversion: thermal and electrical energy; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Nuclear power plant; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; RADAR logic; Safety culture
• ISSN: 0925-7535; 1879-1042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ssci.2012.01.008

► The RADAR scoring matrix of the EFQM Excellence Model is the tool used to assess safety culture. ► The self-assessment in a nuclear power plant allows to obtain items of evidence, strong points and areas for improvement. ► This methodology allows the staff to get more involved and obtain scores in each dimension of safety culture. This paper presents the design and the implementation of a methodology for measuring and improving safety culture at a nuclear power plant (NPP). The study has involved the completion of a pilot project aimed at seeing how to make use of the RADAR logic (Results, Approach, Deployment, Assessment and Review) of the EFQM model as a tool for the self assessment of safety culture in a nuclear power plant. The work was aimed at finding evidence of the safety culture that was in place at the plant and at identifying both the strengths of that culture and any areas in which it could be improved. The score obtained from an analysis of those strengths and areas for improvement has made it possible to prioritise the actions to be taken. The identification of perceptions and evidence, the agreement on the strong points and areas for improvement and the quantification of the safety culture have been performed by groups comprising volunteers who work at the NPP. The advantages of this methodology are assessed in the paper.