This paper describes how different safety cultures in
aviation have the potential to improve or worsen the safety performance of individual organisations. Recommendations are made in regard to the implementation and
control of organisational safety culture to ensure safe practices through detailed engineering of
workplace procedures and communication lines. The
functionalist and
interpretive perspectives of safety culture as described by Glendon (2000) are examined, demonstrating why the strengths of operating under an interpretive perspective within a functionalist framework are appropriate in the aviation industry. The importance of understanding the concepts of safety mission and safety involvement are considered. It is argued that, although difficult to categorically claim, there is little doubt that the differences in safety culture evident in the industry can have significant impact on an
organisation's level of safety. Outline Abstract Introduction and Background Why Safety Culture Is So Important In Aviation Safety Cultures in Aviation Conclusion and Implications Reference List