Factors Contributing Towards Establishing a Positive Safety Culture In Manufacturing Sector

Abstract

A combination of large scale disasters and hazards has encouraged high risk industries to reduce the potential workplace incidents and accidents with routine tasks and to improve workplace safety. This idea encourages the promotion of a strong safety culture which has attracted much attention across a broad spectrum of industries such as manufacturing shipping nuclear, airports, mining and construction where manufacturing sector has one of the highest and continued incidence of fatal incidents, major injury, and reportable 'over a-day' injuries and high overall numbers. In addition, the manufacturing sector accounts for the second largest number of major i/juries when compare to the services. Therefore, promoting a positive safety culture in manufacturing sector creates an atmosphere in which employees are aware of the risk in their workplace, continually on guard against them, and avoid taking any unsafe actions. Establishing a positive safety culture is affected by many factors such as safety management systems occupied including reporting procedures, communication and feedback systems, auditing processes, attitudes and behaviours, work environment, management commitment, employee involvement and employee performance including training and development, incentives, reward systems etc. Thus, understanding such aspects is crucial to create and nurturing a safety culture that suits the organization and the individuals within it. This paper, therefore., aims to investigate factors which contribute towards establishing a positive safety culture in manufacturing sector. A comprehensive literature review and preliminary study were conducted. Key words such as safety culture, definitions of safety culture, components of safety culture and way to establishing a positive safety culture were used to gather relevant literature. Further, semi structured interviews were carried out with the industrial experts who are in charge of the concerned areas to validate the factors identified from literature renew. Research findings illustrated three key areas to be considered when developing a safety culture namely; organisational environment, individual and behaviour (human), and systems and processes. Each manufacturing organisation needs to consider all of these aspects in developing and strengthening the safety culture that suits the organization and the individuals within it. Also, it was further disclosed that everybody needs to feel that safety is everyone’s responsibility in order to create the safety culture in the organisation. The finding of this research will be a guideline to propose a better working condition so that the safety culture can be created.