What is the fundamental organizational tool on which the company's safety culture is based?

Security is not a set of procedures. It's a culture born from people, consolidated in behavior, and reflected in everyday decisions. Today, the most advanced companies no longer ask themselves how to comply with regulations, but what to build an organizational model capable of making them alive and shared.

Understanding what is the fundamental tool on which security culture is based means looking at security as a strategic lever, not an obligation.

In this article, we will see how the Organizational Model, leadership, and the human factor can transform compliance into cultural value and lasting performance.

Introduction

The culture of safety is the beating heart of any organization that wants to grow sustainably. It's not just about rules or protective equipment, but how people think, decide, and act in the face of risk.

The concept was born in the ’80s after major industrial accidents, when a clear awareness emerged: technical errors are not enough to explain serious events; it is necessary to understand human behavior and the organization that influences it. Since then, international bodies such as EU-OSHA, INAIL and NIOSH have reiterated that security is a matter of shared culture.

As psychologist James Reason recalls, “safety culture is what people do when no one is watching”. It means creating a context in which prevention becomes a natural reflex, supported by leadership, training and coherent organizational tools.

In 2025, according to EU-OSHA analyses, companies investing in safety cultural maturity reduced injuries by 30% and increased employee engagement by 25%. A result that confirms a fundamental truth: the culture of security does not impose itself, it is built.

What is meant by safety culture in the company

Safety culture represents how an organization addresses risk and protects people. It is the set of values, beliefs, and behaviors that guide every decision, from the operator to the top of the company.

According to INAIL and EU-OSHA, safety culture is a system of shared practices that guides the organization towards prevention. It includes risk awareness, individual responsibility, and consistency between what is said and what is done.

In a company with a mature safety culture, reporting a hazard is not an act of denunciation, but a gesture of participation. People feel an active part of a common process, in which protection becomes a collective value.

The most recent studies show that the quality of safety culture directly impacts business outcomes. Organizations that integrate security into their decision-making models experience higher productivity, lower turnover, and better internal relationships.

It is therefore not just a question of reducing injuries, but of creating an organizational system that generates trust and sustainable performance.

The organizational security system: an integrated network

Every safety culture is based on a solid organizational system, capable of translating values into concrete actions. This system is the SGSL – Occupational Safety Management System, recognized by INAIL and regulated by Legislative Decree 81/08 and the international standard ISO 45001:2018.

The SGSL defines roles, responsibilities, procedures, and information flows to prevent risks and improve performance. But its strength lies not in the documents: it lies in the coherence between the formal system and everyday behavior. When security processes are integrated with quality and environmental processes, a unified vision of risk is born that strengthens the company culture.

The European Commission, in its 2025 guidelines on the Occupational Safety and Health Framework, highlights how integration between management systems is key to ensuring organizational resilience and sustainability. In this sense, security is not an isolated sector, but a pillar of the business model, part of an ecosystem that unites people, processes, and strategic objectives.

AR19 promotes this vision through pathways that blend safety, environment, and sustainability, supporting leadership and organizational culture as true drivers of continuous improvement.

The fundamental organizational tool: the Organizational Model 231

The true foundation of the culture of safety in the company is represented by the Organization, Management and Control Model (MOG 231), provided for by the Legislative Decree. 231/2001. This tool is not just a legal safeguard for the prevention of health, safety, and environmental crimes: it is the mechanism that translates culture into a system.

MOG 231 defines roles, delegations, and procedures that ensure the consistent functioning of the organization. It identifies risks, assigns responsibilities, establishes information flows and internal controls. But its effectiveness depends on a decisive factor: people's participation. Without leadership, awareness and involvement, the model remains on paper.

According to the INAIL 2024 White Paper – “Models of Security Organization and Culture”, adopting an effective MOG reduces the likelihood of serious accidents by 43% and strengthens the climate of internal trust. The same study highlights that companies with a 231 model integrated with management systems (ISO 45001 and ISO 14001) also achieve the best results on the ESG level, thanks to more transparent and participatory governance.

In the AR19 method, Model 231 represents the backbone of the organizational safety culture, as it connects the technical system to the human dimension. Courses such as “Model 231 and Human Factor in the Company” or “EHS and Legislative Decree 231/01 beyond the protocols” help managers and managers understand how to translate the model into concrete behaviors.

Model 231, if experienced and not just applied, becomes the bridge between rule and culture: a tool that protects the company, values people, and generates sustainability.

The human factor as a lever of Model 231

Every security system lives off the quality of the decisions people make. The human factor is the variable that can transform an organizational model into a truly effective tool.

In the AR19 method, safety is measured not only through technical indicators, but also through people's ability to perceive risks, recognize weak signals, and act with awareness. Model 231, from this perspective, becomes a living structure that integrates procedures and behaviors, governance and culture.

The training program “The Human Factor in Safe Behaviors and Decision-Making” represents its concrete application: it helps managers understand how cognitive biases, stress, and mental automatisms influence operational safety and prevention. This approach, also developed in collaboration with universities and research centers, is inspired by the principles of Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) and Performance Shaping Factors (PSF) theories, which explain how organizational conditions impact the likelihood of human error.

The report “Human Factors in Safety Management Systems” (EU-OSHA, 2024) emphasizes that human factor management must become an integral part of governance systems, not an ancillary element. Companies that adopt training and coaching programs focused on risk perception experience up to a 60% reduction in incidents related to decision-making errors.

In this sense, Model 231 is not just a control system, but a cultural ecosystem that allows us to connect technical skills, values, and behaviors. When the human factor is recognized as a strategic resource, security ceases to be an obligation and becomes a way of thinking and acting.

Leadership in Safety and Safety Coaching

The culture of security is born and spread through leadership. Managers' behaviors, more than any norm, define what is perceived as important within the organization. A leader who prioritizes safety implicitly communicates that every decision must take into account people's well-being and the sustainability of the system.

In the AR19 model, Leadership in Safety is an evolutionary path that develops awareness of roles and responsibilities. It is based on three dimensions:

• the ability to inspire safe and consistent behavior;

  
  

• communication management as a tool of trust;

  
  

• the strategic vision that integrates security and business performance.

AR19 programs, such as “Health and Safety Leadership” and “Managerial Safety Culture for Executives”, help managers and managers recognize their leadership styles and turn them into levers of engagement.

The approach is based on experiential methods: Safety Coaching, safety dialogues, field observations and constructive feedback. Techniques that stimulate learning through direct experience and reinforce a sense of shared responsibility.

The report “Safety Leadership: A Human-Centred Approach” (Harvard Business Review, 2025) confirms that companies with leaders trained in safety culture achieve up to 40% more engagement and a significant reduction in near misses. In parallel, ISO 45003:2021 introduced an international framework for psychological health and well-being at work, highlighting how empathetic leadership and communication are key elements in preventing stress, burnout, and risky behaviors.

In this context, Safety Coaching becomes a bridge between organization and people: it helps leaders observe, listen, and intervene constructively, transforming safety from a procedural obligation to a shared and motivating value.

Predictive KPIs and Cultural Measurement Tools

Measuring safety culture means going beyond accident numbers. Traditional indices such as TRIR (Total Recordable Incident Rate) or LTIFR (Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate) only report what has already happened. To assess cultural maturity and anticipate risks, predictive KPIs are needed, capable of reading weak signals and organizational dynamics before they translate into negative events.

In the AR19 method, leading KPIs are constructed from people's observable behaviors, leadership routines, and level of engagement. Safety Coaching workshops and Safety Perception analyses generate qualitative and quantitative data that allow us to identify trends and areas of vulnerability.

According to the INAIL 2025 White Paper – “Predictive Indicators and Safety Culture”, the adoption of predictive metrics allows for an average 35% reduction in incidental events over two years. The report also highlights how the effectiveness of KPIs grows in proportion to management participation and the quality of internal communication.

AR19 adopts a methodology “data driven”, in which KPIs are used not to judge, but to learn. Integrated dashboards link behaviour, outcomes and risk perception, enabling leaders to assess the real impact of training initiatives and improvement plans.

The ILO's “Vision Zero” programme (2024 update) reiterates the need to move from a reactive to a proactive approach: measuring safety not only when an injury occurs, but whenever safe behavior is implemented. This perspective transforms monitoring into a tool for continuous growth and consolidates the culture of safety as a collective learning system.

The role of experiential training

The culture of safety is consolidated through experience. People only really learn when they live what they learn. For this reason, experiential training is now recognized as one of the most effective tools for building awareness and safe behaviors.

According to the INAIL 2024 Report “Experiential Learning and Safety”, experience-based training programs produce a retention rate of ’85%, compared to 20% for traditional classroom training. The reason is simple: the experience activates the emotional and cognitive component, making the message deeper and more lasting.

In the AR19 method, training is never a transfer of notions, but a process of transformation. Through tools such as LEGO® Serious Play®, field coaching, immersive workshops, and virtual reality, people are enabled to simulate real-world situations and reflect on their decisions. This approach stimulates self-awareness, fosters dialogue, and consolidates trust within teams.

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), in its 2025 “Learning by Doing in Safety Management” report, highlights how experiential training improves risk perception and reduces operational automation errors by 50%. When participants experience realistic scenarios and discuss solutions together, safety becomes a collective competence and not an individual obligation.

AR19 courses such as “Higher Training and Culture Workshop Security for Management” or “EHS Field Coaching” represent concrete examples of this philosophy: combining learning, emotion and strategy. Through firsthand experience, safety ceases to be a classroom topic and becomes part of organizational language.

Integration with sustainability and organizational well-being

Safety is not a technical compartment: it is a pillar of corporate sustainability. In the ESG context, health and safety protection falls under the “Social” pillar and represents a direct indicator of corporate responsibility. An organization that protects people creates value, strengthens reputation, and reduces operational risk.

According to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI 403: Occupational Health and Safety), updated in 2024, strategic safety management contributes to environmental and social performance by integrating ESG criteria with governance and organizational well-being. Businesses that take a cultural and not just a regulatory approach to safety achieve a better ranking in sustainability ratings and greater trust from customers and stakeholders.

In the AR19 method, safety is part of the human sustainability system. Programs dedicated to organizational well-being, sustainable leadership, and antifragility help companies prevent not only injuries, but also stress, burnout, and relationship dysfunction. Pathways such as “Resilience and Antifragility” or “Wellbeing, Diversity and Technology” show how people's well-being translates into more stable performance and a more cohesive corporate culture.

The INAIL 2025 White Paper – “Psychological Well-being and Organizational Security” highlights that companies that integrate wellbeing programs into their HSE models experience a 41% drop in absenteeism and a 22% increase in productivity. Security, in this vision, becomes an element of human sustainability, where people not only work safely, but they feel part of a system that protects and values them.

In short, a culture of safety and sustainability share the same goal: building organizations that are aware, resilient, and capable of generating value in the long run.

Towards a Culture of Antifragile Safety

The companies of the future must not only withstand the unexpected: they must be able to transform crises into growth opportunities. This vision gave rise to the concept of an antifragile safety culture, which goes beyond resilience. While resilience allows us to return to our initial state after a difficulty, antifragility —as Nassim Nicholas Taleb explains in his essay “Antifragile: Thriving in Disorder” allows systems to improve precisely thanks to stresses and perturbations.

Applied to safety, antifragility means learning from mistakes, valuing experiences, and making them a collective asset. Every weak signal becomes an opportunity for improvement, every near miss a lesson to share. This approach is at the heart of the AR19 vision, which promotes a culture of continuous learning grounded in feedback, dialogue, and soft skills development.

According to the EU-OSHA 2025 Report “Resilient and Learning Organizations”, companies that adopt an antifragile safety model show an average reduction of 45% in serious accidents and a 30% improvement in the level of worker engagement. These data confirm that the ability to learn, adapt, and innovate represents the true form of protection in complex contexts.

In AR19 pathways, antifragile culture translates into concrete practices: Safety Coaching, Safety Culture Assessment, Sustainable Leadership, and Organizational Well-being programs. The goal is to create an environment where people don't fear error, but analyze it to grow. Security, thus understood, is no longer a barrier: it is an evolutionary force that generates awareness, responsibility, and innovation.

Conclusion and Call to Action

The culture of safety is not built with regulations, but with consistency. Every model, every procedure, every training plan becomes effective only when it reflects a shared vision: that of a company that recognizes safety as a strategic and human value.

Organizational Model 231 represents the cornerstone of this culture: a structure that unites rules, roles, and responsibilities, but above all, people. Leadership, communication, training, and predictive KPIs revolve around it, which together transform safety into a lever for continuous improvement.

A culture of safety, when guided by conscious leadership and supported by solid organizational tools, becomes the engine of change. It combines productivity, well-being, and reputation. Protects people and builds trust. It generates a positive impact that extends far beyond company boundaries.

At AR19 we believe that safety is a living culture. For this reason, we support companies in building advanced organizational models capable of integrating governance, human factors, and sustainability. Every path arises from listening and develops through experience, because only what is experienced can become a stable value over time.

Learn how to measure and grow your company's safety culture. Request an AR19 Safety Culture Assessment and start building an organizational model that unites people, performance, and sustainability.

Institutional and international sources:

1. INAIL – White Paper 2024:Models of Organization and Culture of Security https://www.inail.it/cs/internet/comunicazione/pubblicazioni.html

2. INAIL – Rapporto 2024: Experiential Learning and Safety at Work https://www.inail.it/cs/internet/comunicazione/pubblicazioni/ricerche.html

3. INAIL – White Paper 2025: Predictive Indicators and Safety Culture  https://www.inail.it/cs/internet/attivita/ricerca.html

4. INAIL – White Paper 2025: Psychological Well-being and Organizational Security https://www.inail.it/cs/internet/attivita/ricerca.html

5. EU-OSHA Report 2025: Learning by Doing in Safety Management https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications

6. EU-OSHA Report 2025: Resilient and Learning Organizations https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications

7. ILO Vision Zero Campaign (2024 update) https://www.ilo.org/safework

8. Global Reporting Initiative – GRI 403 (2024 update): Occupational Health and Safety https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/

9. ISO 45003:2021 – Occupational health and safety management — Psychological health and safety at work https://www.iso.org/standard/64283.html

10. Harvard Business Review (2025) – Safety Leadership: A Human-Centred Approach https://hbr.org/

11. Nassim Nicholas Taleb – Antifragile: Thriving in Disorder (Il Saggiatore, 2024 edizione aggiornata)

Alberto Rosso

CEO/Director AR19