The Scaffolding Effect: How Strong Safety Culture Supports Every Project
Scaffolding may not be glamorous, but it’s essential. It holds things up during complex work. It provides structure while foundations are being reinforced. It protects people while they operate in risky or unfamiliar environments. When built properly, it gives a team the confidence to take on hard projects without fear of collapse.
That’s exactly what a strong safety culture does. It surrounds the work with support, protects people during high-risk phases, and allows leaders to build with confidence — even when conditions change.
In both aviation and construction, scaffolding is more than a metaphor. At airports, all kinds of projects, be they terminal expansions, runway rehabilitations, or groundside reconfigurations bring the operational and construction worlds face to face. They must work in harmony, governed by procedures, processes, and federal regulation. They must move quickly to minimize impact on flights and passengers, managing subcontractors, dealing with weather, and keeping to a schedule. Safety can fall through the cracks unless both cultures are aligned.
When aviation and construction meet — which they do every day at busy airports — there must be a shared understanding of risk, leadership accountability, open communication, and a refusal to normalize shortcuts. In other words, the scaffolding needs to span both environments.
What Makes a Strong Safety Culture?
Dr. James Reason outlined five key elements of a robust safety culture. But what do they actually look like in practice — whether you’re pouring concrete or managing controlled surfaces?
1. Informed Culture
Everyone knows what the risks are — not just on paper, but in practice.
Operators receive hazard briefings before projects begin.
Construction managers are aware of airport-specific procedures and airside risks.
Executives know what is actually happening on the ground, not just what’s in reports.
2. Reporting Culture
People feel safe to report errors, near-misses, and unsafe practices.
A guard who forgets a key step logs it instead of hiding it.
A foreman halts work when a subcontractor skips a step.
Incident reports are followed up with solutions, not scapegoating.
3. Just Culture
Accountability is fair and consistent — the difference between error and negligence is understood.
Workers are not punished for mistakes when they followed the process.
Managers are trained to respond constructively to safety concerns.
Clear policies define what counts as reckless behavior.
4. Flexible Culture
The organization can adapt to changing risks, conditions, or operational phases.
Safety procedures evolve during a terminal expansion or runway rehab.
Teams are empowered to make real-time decisions to stay safe.
SMS documents are not static — they reflect the reality of phased projects and evolving roles.
5. Learning Culture
The organization actively seeks out lessons and applies them.
Post-project debriefs identify what worked and what didn’t.
Safety data leads to revised work methods or training.
Lessons from other airports or industries are shared across teams.
Is Your Scaffolding Strong Enough?
Every organization has some kind of safety culture. The question is whether it’s strong enough to withstand pressure.
Can it hold up under operational disruptions?
Can it bridge the gap between airside ops and construction contractors?
Can it support good decisions when leadership is under stress or scrutiny?
If your scaffolding is weak — if safety is only a policy or an afterthought — then even a small incident can cause a cascade of failures.
So how do you know if your scaffolding will stand?
Try the Safety Culture Pulse Check
We’ve developed a quick, practical tool for safety leaders and executives to assess the health of their culture. The Safety Culture Pulse Check includes 10 key indicators across leadership, communication, procedures, and employee engagement.
It’s not a test. It’s a starting point. A way to see where your culture is holding strong and where it might need reinforcement.
[Click here to download the Safety Culture Pulse Check]
If the results raise concerns or questions, we’re here to help. Whether through training, policy support, or hands-on consulting, Acclivix works alongside you to strengthen the systems that hold safety up — every day, and in every part of your organization. Contact us today!
Currie Russell, A.A.E.
President, Acclivix Inc.