Influence of occupational safety culture on the occupational risk level in the organization

Abstract

Introduction: This study aims to develop a methodology for assessing the risk of hazardous situations, incidents, and related events, with consideration of the level of "occupational safety culture" among employees within an organization.

Methods: The research employs a systematic approach, incorporating mathematical and simulation modeling to evaluate the influence of safety culture on occupational risk levels.

Results: A methodology has been developed to assess the safety culture level and its impact on the likelihood of hazardous events. This methodology is considering based on the degree of compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems (OHSMS) requirements by employees, categorized into five stages of safety culture: (1) indifference, (2) response, (3) dependence, (4) independence, and (5) interdependence. Key factors influencing each stage have been identified. The model demonstrates that employees' compliance with OHSMS requirements is shaped by the roles of managers, safety professionals, and employees within a systemic and social interaction framework.

Discussion: The proposed model enhances the occupational risk management process by incorporating safety culture as a key factor. It establishes a correlation between the level of safety culture and the risk of incidents at different development stages. The model also highlights how initial compliance levels, awareness of safety requirements, and peer and managerial influence affect risk outcomes. Furthermore, it identifies three primary causes underlying non-compliance: negligence, lack of competence (due to insufficient training), and selfish motives.

Keywords: attitude to safety; hazardous event; health; incident; occupational injuries; risk; safety; safety culture.

Figure 1

Occupational risk management model taking into account a group of hazardous factors of the “occupational safety culture” level in an organization.

Figure 2

Stages of the model for “occupational safety culture” development.

Figure 3

Stage I safety culture model: “indifference” represented by Euler model (а) and the Venn model (b): ME—manager of the enterprise; OSS—occupational safety specialist; Р₁-Р₁₄—employees (blue color indicates a lack of interest in complying with safety requirements).

Figure 4

Stage II safety culture model: “response” represented by Euler model (а) and the Venn model (b): ME—manager of the enterprise; OSS—occupational safety specialist; Р1-Р14—employees.

Figure 5

Stage III safety culture model: “dependence” represented by Euler model (а) and the Venn model (b); ME—manager of the enterprise; OSS—occupational safety specialist; Р1-Р14—employees.

Figure 6

Stage IV safety culture model: “independence” represented by Euler model (а) and the Venn model (b); ME—manager of the enterprise; OSS—occupational safety specialist; Р1-Р14—employees.

Figure 7

Stage V safety culture model: “interdependence” represented by Euler model (а) and the Venn model (b); ME—manager of the enterprise; OSS—occupational safety specialist; Р1-Р14—employees.

Figure 8

Occupational risk management process, taking into account the level of compliance with OH&S requirements of employees.

Figure 9

Average occupational risk at the five stages of safety culture development: 1—indifference, 2—response, 3—dependence, 4—independence, 5—interdependence.

Figure 10

Reduction (in percentage) of the occupational risk value by improving the safety culture at the enterprise in average for all employees and all computing experiments.