Safety Culture Survey Results Are In

Last month's survey on the Lab's safety culture and EH&S performance has now been analyzed. After two survey invitations and some encouragement from the Division Directors, 777 responses were received, representing all the divisions at the Lab. Overall, the results showed agreement with statements that the Lab values safety, senior management is committed to safety, and workers feel they are working in a safe environment.

"Overall, for most questions, 90% of respondents agreed that the positive statements on the survey were definitely or mostly true," said Peter Lichty, Site Occupational Medical Director and analyst for the survey. Over 90% of respondents reported good support from their Division Safety Coordinators and EH&S liaisons, key contacts in the Lab's safety systems. There was no significant difference between the responses of different divisions.

Some areas for improvement were identified: "A significant minority indicated that the Lab could do a better job communicating lessons learned, and investigating accidents without blaming the worker," said Lichty. Supervisors could also improve on talking to their employees about their safety performance and inspecting work areas for safety hazards. An FY06 action plan to address these will be implemented by EHS Division.

118 comments were also received, covering a wide variety of topics, from specific safety suggestions to concerns about reporting injuries. Some general comments will be factored into future EHS programs, while some specific suggestions will be routed to the appropriate Lab contact for evaluation and correction.

Phyllis Pei, EH&S Division Director, was satisfied with the survey response. "This is the largest safety culture and EH&S assessment done at LBNL, and we will use these results to improve our EH&S programs," she said. She thanked the respondents for their cooperation.

Go here to view a PowerPoint presentation of the survey results.