Citation

Simard M, Marchand A. Safety Sci. 1995; 21(2): 113-129.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article is about the propensity of workgroups to take safety initiatives and various organisational factors that may impact on workers' safety behaviour. Empirical data concern 1061 workgroups drawn from a random sample of 97 manufacturing plants. A model combining micro and macro organisational factors is developed and tested by a multilevel analysis. Micro level factors refer to variables measuring work processes and hazards, workgroup cohesiveness and cooperation, supervisor's experience and approach to safety management, while macro level factors consist of variables measuring top management commitment in occupational safety and socio-economic characteristics of firms. Results support the hypothesis that micro organisational factors are the primary determinants of the propensity of workgroups to take safety initiatives, with supervisory participative management of safety being the best predictor. Results also suggest that many micro level predictors can be substantially influenced by managerial action, particularly the top management commitment to develop the safety program and joint regulation mechanisms. However, the socio-economic context of the secondary labour market for the firm may act as a structural constraint for such a management commitment and the other shopfloor predictors of workers' safety initiatives behaviour.