Embedding a New Health and Safety Culture Within an Indian National Gas Transmission Company

Abstract

Samuel Daniels led a five-year campaign to embed a healthy and safety culture in a National Gas Transmission Company in India. He took the challenge of establishing a safety culture in the company, which was dominated by a bureaucratic mindset. Although the company had a safety management policy based on ISO-certified integrated management system, the standard operating procedures, work procedures, guidelines, and formats were confined to mere documents, and any new change invited resistance from leadership. Samuel initiated several changes but could not sustain the gain. Lack of openness, trust, sharing, two-way communication, and participative leadership has systematically killed all the efforts to effectively manage safety. OCD strategy such as conducting a “cultural audit” to understand strategy, structure, systems, style, staff, skills, and shared values of the company; improved teamwork and cooperation; effective communication; and greater consultation, flexibility, work innovation at individual and group level have been suggested.