Abstract
Perceptions of line and senior managers in relation to their role in managing workplace injury and illness were investigated with a large UK manufacturing company. The significance of this research to occupational health practitioners lies in the fact that increased understanding of the perceptions of senior and line managers is fundamental to the success of occupational safety and health programmes. Documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews were used to assess perceptions. The findings showed that the managers had a much sounder understanding of their role in injury prevention than that related to illness prevention. The way in which information relating to injury and illness data is presented to managers to aid decision making was found likely to be a fruitful area for further research.
Highlights
Research has shown[1] that latent failures in working organizations are of fundamental importance in the causation of occupational injury
Line and senior managers have a generally clear comprehension of their role in injury prevention, but are much less clear regarding the relevance of their role in prevention of ill-health
They have a tendency to cite operator error as being the major contributory factor to accident causation, but this appears to be due in part to the way in which they receive information regarding injuries
Summary
Research has shown[1] that latent failures in working organizations are of fundamental importance in the causation of occupational injury. Latent failures are defined as those actions and decisions which are remote from the time and place of the incident They are often decisions taken by line and senior managers relating to work structure and organization. Examples of the contribution of latent failures to injuries caused by work are, sadly, many They can be found in the reports of major incidents such as the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise[2] and the fire at King's Cross Underground Station,[3] both the result of decisions taken by line and senior managers some time prior to the accidents. This responsibility is allocated both by the organizations they work for and by legislation
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
