RR952 - A review of the literature on effective leadership behaviours for safety

There is widespread agreement between industry, regulators, academics and the press that leadership is a key component of a safe organisation. This view is widely supported by findings from almost all major incident inquiries and investigations. However, the widespread agreement that leadership is central to safety does not extend to how leadership should deliver safety, what needs to be done, and rather importantly, who should be doing it. While there is considerable literature on leadership, very little of this addresses the issue of safety, particularly in the major hazard sector.

This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy.

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Updated 2021-04-26