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Investigating factors that influence individual safety behavior at work
1Department of Management, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, NS B3H 3C3, Canada. janemullen1@hotmail.com
Introduction:
A qualitative study was conducted to investigate the factors that influence individual safety behavior at work.
Method:
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from a variety of occupations.
Results:
The analysis revealed several organizational and social factors that explain why individuals engage in unsafe work practices.
Conclusions:
The influence of organizational/social factors on safety behavior were discussed. The results suggest that important organizational factors, in addition to job design and engineering systems, may be overlooked when identifying the causes of workplace accidents. Such factors include early socialization, and the need to portray a positive image.
Impact On Industry:
The implications for management and industry are discussed.