Improving safety in small enterprises through an integrated safety management intervention.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Behavioral Science
• Industrial Management

Background:

• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often lack resources for robust safety programs.
• Integrating behavior-based safety with organizational safety culture is crucial for effective injury prevention.
• Previous research has not fully explored this integrated approach in small enterprises.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the applicability of a participatory, behavior-based injury prevention approach combined with safety culture initiatives.
• To evaluate the impact of this integrated approach on safety perceptions and practices in small metal industry enterprises.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial involving 16 small metal industry enterprises (10-19 employees).
• Intervention group received safety coaching and facilitated worker-manager dialogue.
• Safety perceptions were measured using surveys, and safety observations and interviews were conducted.

Main Results:

• Safety coaching led to the identification and resolution of 85% of safety tasks.
• Worker-manager dialogues resulted in the accomplishment of 79% of prioritized safety tasks.
• Intervention enterprises showed significant improvements in six of eight safety perception factors compared to one in control enterprises.

Conclusions:

• The integrated participatory approach effectively enhanced safety perceptions and task completion in small metal enterprises.
• Evidence suggests behavior change and the initiation of safety culture change within intervention companies.
• This approach holds significant potential for adaptation across various small enterprises in different industries.