Unravelling safety compliance in the mining industry: examining the role of work stress, job insecurity, satisfaction and commitment as antecedents

Uanda Masia,Jaco Pienaar

doi:10.4102/sajip.v37i1.937

Abstract

Orientation: Safety compliance remains a major issue in the South African mining industry. This article explores the roles of specific work-related job and attitudinal variables in predicting compliance.Research purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship of work stress, job insecurity, satisfaction and commitment to safety compliance in a mine.Motivation for the study: The study aims to predict safety compliance through work-related variables in order to manage safety better.Research design, approach and method: The researchers used a cross-sectional survey design with a convenience sample (n = 158). They distributed a survey booklet. It included a biographical questionnaire, scales for job insecurity, satisfaction, affective organisational commitment, workplace accidents and safety compliance as well as a work stress measure that comprised dimensions of role clarity, conflict and overload.Main findings: The results showed that work stress and job insecurity had a negative relationship with safety compliance. The researchers found that only job satisfaction was a significant predictor of safety.Practical/managerial implications: Although exploratory, this study suggests that promoting job satisfaction may improve safety compliance whilst job stress and job insecurity also relate negatively to safety compliance.Contribution/value-add: This study shows that job satisfaction is more important than organisational commitment, job security and work stress for predicting safety compliance.

Highlights

The mining industry has been an important source of employment in South Africa since the early 1900s
In 2003, 43 people lost their lives in the line of duty at Anglogold, whilst 27 people died at Anglo Platinum operations
The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between work stress, job insecurity, organisational commitment, job satisfaction and safety compliance in a mine and to determine whether one can use work-related variables and attitudes to predict the safety compliance of employees

Summary

Introduction

The mining industry has been an important source of employment in South Africa since the early 1900s. Many men who left their homes to find employment in the mining industry never returned and many women, whose husbands moved to mining towns to find employment, became widows because of fatal mine accidents. Ashworth and Peake (1994) suggest that the harsh physical conditions experienced in the mining industry could exacerbate this perception of human error as a causal factor in mining accidents in South Africa. Because of performance pressure and time constraints, many workers could engage in unsafe behaviours They include short cuts that compromise safety compliance and can cause accidents

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Conclusion