Reporting of Hazardous Events in Aquaculture Operations - The Significance of Safety Climate

Objectives: In Norwegian aquaculture, safer technology and better safety management systems have been developed during the last decade. Safety commitment and safe behavior are still vital to ensure a safe working environment. The objective of this paper is to explore what factors might influence the reporting of hazardous situations in aquaculture. The significance of factors on both the individual (work experience, position) and company/organizational level (company size, safety climate) was studied. It was hypothesized that reporting of hazardous situations was positively predicted by work experience, having the position as operational manager, company size, and safety climate.Methods: The study is based on a quantitative questionnaire study involving 428 fish farmers, operational managers, and service vessel employees in the Norwegian aquaculture industry, interviewed by telephone. A purposive sampling procedure was employed. Correlation and hierarchical regression analyses were applied. The data quality was considered satisfactory.Results: Individual factors had no significant relationship with the reporting of hazardous situations. Company size and safety climate factors had positive associations with reporting. Larger companies might have more resources for safety management and the development of practical reporting solutions. A positive safety climate might increase the motivation for reporting.Conclusion: Efforts by management to improve the safety climate can contribute to the reporting of hazardous events, continuous improvement of safety management and improvement of the safety level.