Multilevel models in the explanation of the relationship between safety climate and safe behavior

Span J Psychol. 2013:16:E54. doi: 10.1017/sjp.2013.38.

Abstract

This study examines the relationships between components of organizational safety climate, including employee attitudes to organizational safety issues; perceptions of the physical working environment, and evaluations of worker engagement with safety issues; and relates these to self-reported levels of safety behavior. It attempts to explore the relationships between these variables in 1189 workers across 78 work groups in a large transportation organization. Evaluations of safety climate, the working environment and worker engagement, as well as safe behaviors, were collected using a self report questionnaire. The multilevel analysis showed that both levels of evaluation (the work group and the individual), and some cross-level interactions, were significant in explaining safe behaviors. Analyses revealed that a number of variables, at both levels, were associated with worker engagement and safe behaviors. The results suggest that, while individual evaluations of safety issues are important, there is also a role for the fostering of collective safety climates in encouraging safe behaviors and therefore reducing accidents.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Attitude*
  • Behavior*
  • Environment
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Models, Psychological
  • Multilevel Analysis
  • Occupational Health*
  • Organizational Culture
  • Safety*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Transportation*
  • Workplace
  • Young Adult