The coupling of safety and security : exploring interrelations in theory and practice

Abstract

Safety has long been a major concern for hazardous industries. With the increase in security threats over the past two decades, safety and security have come together and now coexist as strategies and management practices. However, they often do so, without thoughtful reflection about their interrelations and the kind of implications this may have. Investigating this area from diverse perspectives and identifying the synergies and tensions between safety and security was at the core of a 3-day workshop organized by the NeTWork1 think tank and gathering researchers from different disciplines and countries. This workshop was held in the inspiring Abbaye of Royaumont, near Paris, in June 2018. Engaging in this exchange brought enlightening insights to the complex interrelations between safety and security but also to the associated research and management challenges. The co-editors, Corinne Bieder and Kenneth Pettersen Gould, are deeply grateful to the FonCSI (Foundation for an Industrial Safety Culture)2 for the support and funding of this research initiative