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I am very pleased to be with you this morning to discuss a topic of singular importance to the nuclear industry and the NRC – safety culture. I will try to supplement the many thoughtful presentations you have received over the course of this meeting by providing the perspective of a regulator. I will discuss the importance of safety culture, the NRC’s current regulatory approach to the issue, the considerations that bear on possible changes to our regulatory approach, and the NRC’s own safety culture.

1. Introduction — The Importance of Safety Culture
Although the elements of safety culture are somewhat amorphous, there is general agreement that they include both organizational and individual aspects. Elements commonly included at the organizational level are senior management commitment to safety, organizational effectiveness, effective communications, organizational learning, and a culture that encourages the identification and resolution of safety issues. Elements identified at the individual level include personal accountability, a questioning attitude, and procedural adherence. The financial health of the organization and the impact of regulatory bodies are occasionally identified as external factors potentially affecting safety culture.

The importance of management attention to safety has long been recognized. In the early 1800s, the DuPont chemical family owned gunpowder manufacturing plants that were plagued by explosions. Safety measures were for the most part limited to excluding metal that could produce a spark. All tools were made out of wood,  workers wore clothing with brass buttons and shoes with soles that had brass tacks, and horses were fitted with rubber-like boots that were placed over their horseshoes. Nonetheless, explosions that on the average killed three people occurred about once every 14 months in the early 1800s. As a result, Irénée DuPont redesigned his gunpowder plants both to improve the quality of gunpowder and to enhance safety. According to legend, the major change was that the managers’ offices were located just above the rooms where the  gunpowder was made. If true, this would have been an early example of a corporate decision to ensure management’s total commitment to safety.