Developing a Culture of Safety for Sustainable Development and Public Health in Manufacturing Companies—A Case Study

Abstract

One of the most important values in human life is health and safety. This is reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG3, SDG8), which were presented by the United Nations in 2015. These goals emphasize the importance of ensuring healthy lives, promoting well-being for all, and fostering inclusive and sustainable economic growth through decent work and safe working conditions. Taking into account the importance of issues related to safety, including occupational safety and human health, research was carried out to examine the impact of the development of a safety culture during employees’ work on improving public health. In order to conduct the research, a survey questionnaire was developed, consisting of 20 questions relating to 10 attributes of safety culture. The research surveys were carried out among 363 employees in a production enterprise, and an interview questionnaire was administered to 3 employees of the Occupational Health and Safety Service of this enterprise. The results revealed that the enterprise’s employees rate the level of safety culture very highly. Along with the improvement of working conditions in the enterprise, the level of safety increases, the number of accidents at work decreases, and thus the protection of employee health is higher. Therefore, a high level of safety culture is correlated with a high value attached to the health and life of employees, and this, in turn, affects public health. Moreover, fostering a strong safety culture aligns with the principles of sustainable development, contributing to long-term societal well-being and aligning with global goals for responsible and ethical growth.