Abstract of Meeting Paper

Society for Risk Analysis - Europe 1998 Annual Meeting

Employees Safety Attitudes, Management Commitment and Management-Employee Communication in a Norwegian Smelting Plant. Lise Falkfjell and Torbjørn Rundmo, Dept. of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7034 Trondheim, Norway, telephone +47-73591656, fax +47-73591920, e-mail: torbjorn.rundmo@sv.ntnu.no

Safety culture approaches the aspects of risk management. The major aim of this study is to examine the effect of employee safety attitudes, risk judgements, management safety commitment and management-employee communication on an company’s safety culture. The analysis are based on a self-completion questionnaire survey among employees on a smelting plant in Norway (n=95). Differences concerning employee safety attitudes and risk judgements were found between the work divisions. Employee subjective safety and risk assessments were associated with management safety commitment, as well as management-employee communication. The hypothesis that employees safety attitudes is associated with management-employee communication and management safety commitment was confirmed. Management communication, safety information, safety staff and breaking safety rules, organisational communication, routine controls and safety checks and management safety commitment were all important predictor variables for employees safety attitudes. The main conclusion of this study was that employees safety attitudes and risk assessments effected the safety culture of the plant.