Framework for creating a Best-in-Class safety culture

•Practical attributes of Best-in-Class safety management.•Consensus principles harvested from a broad spectrum of organizations.•Guidelines that an organization can use as part of its overall self-assessment program.•Good safety culture means that ground-level programs will follow automatically.•When exposure increases, whether or not you have an accident is luck.

To answer the question, “What are the practical attributes of Best-in-Class safety management,” consensus principles have been identified and lessons learned harvested from a broad spectrum of organizations with exemplary safety programs. Through years of studying the underpinnings of a strong safety culture, the authors have identified ten attributes that are important to create a Best-in-Class safety culture. Instead of expecting one organization to possess all of the attributes or employ all of the techniques identified, the authors suggest these principles be treated as guidelines that can be used to improve the safety culture in organizations.