safety culture assessment based on the Hearts and Minds methodology: maturity analysis in a railway sector company

Abstract

Large-scale industrial accidents in recent decades have demonstrated that, beyond technical failures, human and organizational factors play a central role in the occurrence of critical events. In Brazil, organizational safety culture has become a key pillar of accident prevention, particularly in high-risk sectors such as the railway industry. Against this backdrop, this study aims to assess organizational safety culture using the "Hearts and Minds" methodology, developed by Shell and disseminated by the Energy Institute. The research is descriptive and exploratory in nature, employing specific tools from the methodology to analyze safety-related perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors, as well as to determine the organizational culture's maturity level. The analysis seeks to diagnose the current state of the safety culture and highlight factors influencing Occupational Health and Safety performance, with a particular focus on leadership commitment and employee engagement. The findings are expected to contribute to the advancement of safety culture maturity, thereby fostering risk reduction and strengthening preventive practices within the railway environment.