Causal relations between psychosocial conditions, safety climate and safety behaviour – A multi-level investigation

Abstract

Rather little is known about the role of occupational safety climate in a broader organisational context, its antecedents and the mechanisms for how it may impact safety outcomes. This study used a prospective longitudinal multi-level study design to examine the cause and effect relationships between psychosocial conditions, safety climate, and safety behaviour. Data were collected by means of questionnaires from 289 employees in 43 units at four occasions during a period of 21months of the construction of a road tunnel. Data were analysed using two approaches for modelling change; an autoregressive latent variable model and a multi-level growth curve model. Results showed that individual perceptions of safety climate exerted a causal effect on individual safety behaviour, but we also found some evidence of a reversed relationship, where safety behaviour influenced safety climate. Furthermore, we found that work unit average perceptions of safety climate predicted the growth of the individual safety behaviour but this influence was mediated by the individual’s perception of the safety climate. The results also indicate that supportive psychosocial conditions within an organisation influence individual safety perceptions but do not per se have an impact on safety behaviour.