Safety Climate Surveys, Maturity Models, and Triangulated Safety Culture Assessment: A Scoping Review of Diagnostic Methodologies

Safety culture has become a central construct in occupational safety management due to its recognized influence on organizational performance and accident prevention. However, the absence of a universally applicable assessment methodology has contributed to substantial methodological fragmentation. Therefore, this scoping review aimed to identify, classify, and critically analyze methodological approaches for safety culture assessment. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, studies published between January 2016 and October 2025 were retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, and Dimensions. Study selection and methodological quality appraisal were conducted using predefined eligibility criteria and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT, version 2018). Through a descriptive synthesis, the 25 included studies revealed a heterogeneous landscape encompassing psychometric surveys, multi-criteria and maturity-based models, and triangulated approaches. The findings indicate that each methodological family captures different dimensions of safety culture. Psychometric approaches provide scalability and comparability but remain dependent on self-reported perceptions, whereas multi-criteria models support structured organizational diagnosis. Triangulated approaches integrate multiple sources of evidence and facilitate the examination of discrepancies between formal organizational arrangements and operational practices. Overall, the review highlights the diversity of available assessment approaches and suggests that the evaluation’s objectives, context, and scope should guide the selection of the methodology.