Safety Culture & PUWER Reg 8: Why People Aren’t the Problem

Relevant PUWER Regulation: Regulation 8 – Information and Instructions

Summary:

Modern workplaces are filled with rules, signs, policies, and training. But these don't always reflect actual control of risk. When systems aren't inherently safe, organizations lean on human behavior to fill the gap, creating a fragile culture where safety becomes synonymous with paperwork rather than actual protection.

Deeper Insight:

Safety culture often becomes synonymous with compliance culture. Employees are expected to remember procedures, avoid hazards, and follow rules that exist because the system itself isn’t truly safe. This isn't sustainable. Over time, this creates what psychologists call "procedural drift" – people slowly deviate from rules because they’re impractical, inefficient, or just don't match the real risk. Additionally to this if the policies are not truly understood then they cannot be followed. This is something highlighted within the risk assessment process.

The Consequence:

This leads to:

• Safety fatigue: workers disengage from endless briefings and bureaucracy.
  
  

• Token compliance: policies exist but aren't followed or respected.
  
  

• Blame culture: when something goes wrong, individuals are punished instead of fixing the system.
  
  

The Solution:

• Redesign systems to eliminate or reduce risk at source.
  
  

• Use clear, minimal procedures as a final defense.
  
  

• Involve frontline workers as stakeholders in shaping procedures that reflect real work so the policies can be understood.
  
  

Strategic Insight:

Safety culture must be grounded in systems, not slogans. A well-designed workplace reduces the need for constant instruction and oversight. The result is a culture that is proactive, engaged, and resilient.