Information seeking among safety and health managers

A national survey of information seeking about work-related safety and health matters was conducted among 574 safety and health managers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Science and Education Administration. Specific beliefs about the seriousness, likelihood, and effectiveness of present work hazards as well as the need for additional information were used to predict self-reported information-seeking activities. The results revealed that the beliefs of how well the managers protect themselves from hazards, the seriousness of needing information, the likelihood of needing additional information, and the usefulness of this information were significant predictors of safety and health information seeking. Manager beliefs of how well coworkers protect themselves from hazards and felt need for additional information were not related to information seeking. Manager perceptions of coworkers as less careful and informed concerning safety are discussed.