Accountability is the most critical element when developing an effective safety program. This ingredient is profoundly important when we try to understand the operational culture in an organization.  The organization must be realistic when identifying this operating principle.  Expectations must be clearly defined, understood, and enforced without deviation.  The credibility of the safety program will be at risk if expectations are out of balance with behavior. 

An initial step in the development of an effective safety program, is for the safety manager to get the "go ahead" blessing of the administration and control board in the organization.  This will ensure that all engaged actions will not go in vain if difficulties are "provoked" during the implementation.  Every level within the organizational structure must have a full understating of the program's purpose.  People must understand how the program will not only safeguard human lives, but also "how" its implementation supports long term financial performance goals.  Happy employees are the ones feeling safe at work, and strive for continuously improved performance.  

An equally important step, is for the safety manager to harmonize the safety program procedures into the overall management system, and to ensure compliance with other requirements.  Other requirements can come from most any origin, including EASA, FAA, DoD, MoD, NASA, OSHA, EPA and others.  The responsibility for integration is to design effective "engagement patterns" that will drive the organization's safety culture.  Such can deal with time management, line procedures, and behavioral ergonomics, as well as, addressing operational distress.

Another critical implementation step is to cultivate the active cooperation and engagement of the people, within all ranks of the organization.  This action can be very tricky to perfect, because the safety manager has to deal with the best and worst elements in human behavior.  Environmentally influenced behavioral blueprints can be greatly impacted when the safety culture is in distress.  Personal commitment should be the prominent operational milestone for any organization, and not the principle of "money for motivation".  Though financial inducement may provide short-term motivation, it is not sustainable.  The procedural design that works with the highest degree of reliability is personal recognition, and self-respect to one's personal and professional existence.

Education, through integrated and contextual training, is key to facilitating the understanding of importance.  Training can be one of the few opportunities a safety manager may have with the employees for "personal time" in a relaxed atmosphere.  This personal time is extremely important in developing lasting professional trust so that the program will be "in line" for success.  Communication techniques must be specific to the target audience with "one-on-one" interaction and role playing as potential learning techniques. 

Effectiveness of the safety program must be continuously measured and reported.  This can be a very delicate process, where one cannot force the outcome, by trying to induce fear for change toward the evaluated target.  Fear is only a temporary motivator, while respect and recognition can be a motivator for life.  Accountability and engagement are measurable characteristics, that should be given consideration, when developing effectiveness measures.