Issues of clinical management are identified to have potentially contributed to death in over 3500 cases of surgical deaths audited in Australia between 2009-2013 (Australian and New Zealand Audit of Surgical Mortality, 2013). It is therefore important to explore the area of human factors in hospitals and the role it plays in serious medical errors, particularly in the operating room. Previous research has found that adverse events are usually attributed to human factors (Flin et al., 2006). Non-technical skills, such as leadership, decision-making, assertiveness, team coordination, communication, are responsible for maintaining safety. For experienced clinicians, a lack of technical skills is not usually responsible. There is very little research that looks at safety attitudes in surgical room personnel within Australian hospitals. Most studies that assess safety attitudes in hospitals focus on the wider organisational environment. In contrast, the present study incorporated individual personality measures to provide a well-rounded understanding of the influences of safety attitudes in surgical staff. There have been a number of studies conducted overseas that have assessed the attitudes of surgical staff on safety culture and teamwork (i.e. Flin et al., 2003; Flin et al., 2006; Kim et al., 2015; Prati & Pietrantoni, 2014; Sexton et al., 2000). There is, however, very little research that looks at the influence of personality differences on safety attitudes in an occupation setting. Of the research that has been conducted in this field, most research has been undertaken within the realm of traffic safety (i.e. Ulleberg & Rundmo, 2003) where personality differences have been found to affect attitudes towards traffic safety (Lucidi et al, 2014; Ulleberg & Rundmo, 2003). Personality differences have also been found to affect safety attitudes in university students (Henning et al., 2009) and factory workers (Ucho & Gbande, 2012). Furthermore, personality differences have also been linked to the occurrence workplace accidents (Beus et al., 2015). Aim: This study was designed to assess the influence of personality on the teamwork and safety attitudes of medical personnel working in an Australian surgical setting. Method: A link to an online survey was distributed to Australian surgical staff (including nurses and surgeons) through their respective Colleges and Unions. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. In additional to demographic questions relating to gender, occupation, tenure, type of hospital, state and frequency of operating theatre usage, the survey incorporated the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (Sexton et al., 2006), as well as the 20 item Mini-IPIP (Donnellan et al., 2006) as a measure of personality. To date, over 300 participants have completed the online survey and data analysis will commence shortly. Conclusion: The findings of this study will be able to be used to guide human factors training development for surgical staff within Australia. In addition to training development, the results of the study will raise awareness of the importance of non-technical skills and its potential effects on patient safety. In the long term this can result in better patient care through tailored training programmes and systems targeting specific non-technical skills associated with safety.