Safety climate dimensions as predictors for risk behavior

Abstract

This study examines the interactive relationship between three dimensions of safety climate (management commitment to safety, priority of safety, and pressure for production), and their impact on risk behavior reported by employees. The sample consisted of 623 employees from a chemical manufacturing organization in South Africa. Hierarchical regression analyses were carried out to test the direct effects and the interaction effect of the three safety climate dimensions on risk behavior. The results showed that, as expected, employees' risk behavior was negatively related to management commitment to safety and priority of safety and positively related to pressure for production. Moreover, as expected, the three-way interaction between management commitment to safety, priority of safety and pressure for production was significant. When pressure for production was high, management commitment to safety was negatively related to risk behavior, regardless of level of priority of safety on plant. When pressure for production was low, the effect of management commitment to safety on risk behavior was nullified under conditions of high, as compared to low priority of safety on plant. These findings highlight the importance of managerial commitment to safety in contexts where employees experience tensions between production deadlines and safety procedures.