SELF-REPORTED INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS AND A SAFETY CLIMATE ANALYSIS OF A FOOD MANUFACTURING COMPANY IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Background: The study examines the relationship between employees’ safety climate and industrial accidents in a food manufacturing company in Nigeria. Scholars identify safety climate as a plausible determinant of positive safety performance. The relationship between safety climate and industrial accidents has not attracted enough research in the food-manufacturing sector in Nigeria. Methods: The study employed a quantitative approach, utilizing a survey research design to administer structured questionnaires to employees. The questionnaires assessed respondents’ views on organizational safety climate and self-reported accidents. Results: The findings reveal a weak positive relationship between employees’ perceptions of safety and self-reported accident rate; and a difference in the perceptions of the six safety climate dimensions. Effective communication and leadership skills are the two leading factors that accounted for the variation in accident rates in the company. Findings show a high perception of the safety climate among the employees, but room for improvement in the subdimensions. Conclusion: This study confirms there is no substitute for effective communication and leadership to achieve positive safety performance. Top management, should incorporate safety predictors into their Safety Management System to focus on regular and continuous training to promote excellent safety performance in the industries.