Work-safety tension, perceived risk, and worker injuries: a meso-mediational model

Work-safety tension arises when workers perceive that working safely is at odds with effectively doing their jobs. We proposed that workers' perceptions of work-safety tension would be associated with higher levels of perceived risk, which would, in turn, relate to worker injuries on the job.

Grocery store workers (n=600) completed an online survey and organizational worker injury reports were obtained for a two-year period following the survey. Survey results were linked to subsequent worker injuries using hierarchical generalized linear modeling.

We found support for the proposed meso-mediation model: department work-safety tension predicted subsequent worker injuries, partially through an association with workers' risk perceptions.

Safety researchers and consultants and organizational leaders should look beyond typically-examined safety climate constructs, such as management commitment to safety, and pay particular attention to workers' perceptions of work-safety tension.