The Combined Effect of Psychosocial Safety Climate and OHS Vulnerabilities on Workplace Injury Risks

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Workplace injuries, both physical and psychological, pose significant risks to employee well-being and productivity.
• Understanding the interplay between psychosocial and physical work environments is vital for injury prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between psychosocial safety climate (PSC) and occupational health and safety vulnerability (OHS-V).
• To examine the combined impact of PSC and OHS-V on work-related physical and psychological injuries.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional online survey was administered to workers in British Columbia.
• The PSC-12 scale and OHS-V index were used to assess safety climate and hazards/protections.
• Adjusted regression models analyzed the association between PSC, OHS-V, and injury risk, exploring additive effects.

Main Results:

• High-risk PSC and OHS-V were independently linked to increased psychological and physical injury risk.
• The combination of high-risk PSC and OHS-V demonstrated additive effects.
• The combined high-risk environments showed significantly elevated risk ratios for both psychological (RR=10.08) and physical injuries (RR=4.77).

Conclusions:

• Both psychosocial and physical safety factors must be addressed to prevent workplace injuries.
• Integrated interventions targeting combined psychosocial and physical hazards are effective in reducing injury incidence.
• Promoting a healthier, more productive workforce requires a dual focus on psychosocial and physical safety.