Behavioural approaches to safety management within UK reactor plants

The current study is concerned with the evaluation of a process of behavioural safety within the nuclear industry. The focus of the investigation is on personal inputs to, and experiences of a behavioural safety process (BSP), over a 4-year period, rather than organisational safety performance per se. Its purpose is to describe how employees within participating UK reactor plants regard behavioural approaches to safety management. In particular, the study addresses the perceived strengths and weaknesses of behavioural approaches to safety management and identifies both current and future potential for individual and organisational learning. Personnel from three representative UK reactor sites and other key stakeholders participated in the investigation. Several methods were utilised to gather data in relation to the study objectives, including semi-structured interviews, plant observations and questionnaires. Findings indicate a positive commitment to behavioural safety at all levels within the study organisation. Interviewees articulated a number of specific examples of individual learning and possibilities for learning enhancement. Results from the questionnaire study indicate that the BSP is embedded at all levels and within all representative sites participating in the current study. However, the issue of sustainability has been identified as a potential problem at one of the participating sites. The investigation findings are discussed in relation to existing theoretical frameworks of behavioural change.