Safety climate, perceived risk, and involvement in safety management

This article examines the relationship between safety climate, risk perception and involvement in safety management by first-line managers (FLM). Sixty-three FLMs from two French nuclear plants answered a questionnaire measuring perceived workplace safety climate, perceived risk, and involvement in safety management. We hypothesized that a positive perception of safety climate would promote substantial involvement in safety management, and that this effect would be stronger than the perceived-risk effect. We also expected that safety climate dimensions would have a different impact on involvement in safety management. Especially, we expected climate dimensions dealing with safety-related exchanges between managers and their supervisees to be more related to FLMs’ involvement in safety management. As expected, perceived risk, as well as safety climate, was related to FLMs’ involvement in safety management: the more they perceived risks as probable and serious for their supervisees, the more involved they got in safety management. Similarly, FLMs who perceived a good safety climate in their company reported getting more involved in safety management than did FLMs who perceived a poor safety climate. Moreover, the results showed that safety climate was the key variable because it completely mediated the effect of perceived risk on involvement in safety management. Another important result showed that immediate supervisor encouragement was more influential than senior management views on safety. Furthermore, the fact of being called upon by supervisees on safety issues prompted the FLMs to be more involved in safety management. Possible avenues for improving the involvement of FLMs in safety management are suggested.