Five elements could be identified as main components in a typology for safety policy and risk management. Policy-making should be used to provide long-term safety planning in a defined political jurisdiction area. Trauma surveillance is based on the development and maintenance of supportive systems in trauma emergency care departments. Risk management includes a number of organisations for developing supportive environments. Settings are channels and mechanisms of influence for reaching defined populations. Community involvement should guarantee peoples empowerment in the development of safe communities. An equity-adjusted typology should consider the multifactorial interplay and highlight system factors in the community focusing the groups in most need of change.