Factors influencing safety behaviour among primary school teachers in Kuala Nerus, Malaysia

Abstract

Habitual non-compliance with policies, procedures and safety rules are believed to be the main cause of accidents as it can cause the entire system more at risk for failure. Recognising how particular facets of safety climate may shape risk behaviour will allow organizations to weigh conflicting organizational priorities as well as reducing unsafe behaviour in the workplace. This study assessed safety climate dimensions as predictors for safety compliance behaviours in defining safety climate and evaluated the perception of school teachers about the workplace safety and health system in primary schools. The objectives of this study was to explore the relationship between perceived safety climate and safety compliance behaviour among primary school teachers; and to determine the dominant factors of perceived safety climate which influence safety compliance behaviour among primary school teachers. This study used the quantitative approach by applying Nordic Safety Climate Questionnaire-50 (NOSACQ-50). The major findings of the study indicated that three independent variables peer safety communication learning, and trust in safety ability, workers’ trust in efficacy of safety systems, and management safety justice influence significantly on safety compliance behaviour. On the other hand, management safety priority and ability and workers’ safety commitment and management safety empowerment were least significantly related to safety compliance behaviour among the teachers. The proportion of the variance in the dependent variable is explained by the independent variables when these variables are entered into the regression analysis. The six perceived safety climate managed to explain significantly 58.7% of the variance in safety compliance behaviour. Consistent with hypothesis no.8, the factor peer safety communication learning, and trust in safety ability (β= .365, p<0.05), workers’ trust in efficacy of safety systems (β= .237, p<0.05), and management safety justice (β= .212, p<0.05) was positively related to perceived safety compliance behaviour. There was no support, however, for factor management safety priority and ability (β=.061), management safety empowerment (β=.003), and worker safety commitment (β=.016) was unrelated to safety compliance behaviour.