Back to The MINER Act of 2006 and Related NIOSH Activities

Overview

Safety culture is a term widely used in the nuclear power industry and some other potentially hazardous industries. There are numerous definitions of the term. The U.K. Health and Safety Commission defined safety culture as "the product of individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies, and patterns of behavior that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organization’s health and safety management".

NIOSH has an interest in investigating the suitability of some of the safety culture methods which have been developed and applied in other industries to the American coal mining industry. A contract has been awarded to define and evaluate the existing safety culture of the coal mining industry. By understanding the culture, behaviors that promote safety, as well as behaviors that need to be changed, can be identified and targeted to effect long-term improvements in the industry’s safety performance. The contractor, Human Performance Analysis Corporation, will conduct a pilot implementation of their safety culture assessment methodology to begin to collect data relevant to defining the existing safety culture in the coal mining industry. This initial pilot study will focus on a smaller, underground coal mine in the eastern United States.

Contracts and Grants

• Safety Culture Assessment in Coal Mining, Contract No. 254-2006-M-17202, Human Performance Analysis Corporation, July 10, 2006