Culture in maritime safety

Many accidents, resulting in a larger number of fatalities during the last few years, have focused attention on issues of maritime safety. Accident registration reveals that a large proportion have human related causes, and indicates that, by looking at cultural aspects, one's understanding of the underlying mechanisms leading to accidents might increase. Several constructs of culture and climate have appeared on national, organizational and safety levels. Those constructs are discussed together with problems that occur when interpreting accidental data, and recording accidental causes. The papers reviewed indicate the existence of a ‘chain of evidence’ from accidents/safety to attitudes, communications, conflict-solving, etc. and further to safety culture. To be able to reduce the risk for accidents, there seems to be a need for coordination and the cultural perspective seems to be one that integrates and takes the many disciplines and multi-level nature of accidents and safety into account.