A Conceptual Analysis of Safety Culture Literacy

This study proposes the concept of Safety Culture Literacy as a theoretical framework to explain individual safety competencies within the context of a multi-hazard society. While the existing notion of safety culture primarily emphasizes collective and organizational dimensions, literacy highlights individual capabilities such as comprehension, critical evaluation, and practical application of information. Viewing safety culture literacy as an integrated and novel conceptual construct, this study employed the eight-step concept analysis method developed by Walker and Avant(2005) to establish its theoretical structure. Through an extensive literature review, comparative analysis of related concepts, case construction, and identification of antecedents and consequences, five defining attributes of safety culture literacy were derived: (1)risk awareness, (2)information interpretation and judgment, (3)competence for practical safety action, (4)cultural understanding and contextual awareness, and (5)communication and participation competence. In addition, empirical referents for each attribute were examined, and implications for future development of assessment tools, educational interventions, and policy applications were discussed. By theoretically structuring a previously undefined concept, this study provides an academic and practical foundation for advancing research and practice in safety education, disaster response, and civic capacity building.