Understanding the relationship between safety culture and safety performance indicators in US nuclear waste cleanup operations

The relationship between nuclear safety culture and safety performance remains uncertain due to the limited research directly comparing these two variables. This study aimed to help address that gap in knowledge by evaluating the relationships between safety culture traits and two types of performance measures - personal safety and operations indicators - for a U.S. nuclear waste cleanup contractor.Data for 29 performance indicators were correlated with data measuring workforce perceptions on safety culture traits defined by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO). Correlation and regression analyses indicated statistically significant relationships between safety culture traits and multiple organizational key performance indicators related to safety, quality and cost savings. Higher scores on safety culture traits were more closely associated with key performance indicators related to the evaluation and resolution of safety concerns, the recognition and accurate categorization of self-revealing and self-identified issues, and emergency response actions. The results suggest that while management strategies to improve safety culture may be linked to key performance indicators that strengthen overall organizational performance, these same strategies may also indirectly degrade the work environment in other areas. These research findings can help managers and safety professionals establish key performance indicators and safety culture metrics that are meaningful indicators of safety performance and inform action plans that improve productivity, enhance workplace safety, and avoid unintended consequences.