The Safety Attitudes of Senior Managers in the Chinese Coal Industry
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Methods
2.1. Fifteen Important Safety Concept Indexes
2.2. Sample and Procedures
2.2.1. Sample
2.2.2. Procedures
3. Results and Analysis
3.1. Data Statistics Analysis and Comparision
3.2. Current Status Analysis (2014)
3.3. Changing Trend Analysis (2014 vs. 2009)
4. Discussion
4.1. Causes of Some Safety Evaluation Concepts′ Improvement
4.1.1. Improvement of the Social and Legal Environment
4.1.2. Improvement of the Social Safety Culture
4.1.3. Enhancement of a Staff′s Safety Demands
4.1.4. Scientific and Technological Progress in the Coal Industry
4.2. Causes of Partial Concepts in Decline
4.2.1. Lack of Awareness of Safety Creating Economic Benefits
4.2.2. Insufficient Communication on Safety and Experience
4.2.3. Insufficient Attention Paid to a Safety Culture and Management Methods
4.2.4. Role of Safety Organizations Not Played Effectively
5. Conclusions
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Chen, H.; Qi, H.; Tan, H. Study on Fatal Accidents in China′s Coal Mines Based on Feature Sources and Environment Characteristics. China Saf. Sci. J. 2005, 15, 33–38. [Google Scholar]
- Lu, C.S.; Yang, C.S. Safety Leadership and Safety Behavior in Container Terminal Operations. Saf. Sci. 2010, 48, 123–134. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Rundmo, T.; Hale, A.R. Managers′ attitudes toward safety and accident prevention. Saf. Sci. 2003, 41, 557–574. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Neal, A.; Griffin, M.A. Safety climate and safety at work. In The Psychology of Work Place Safety; Barling, J., Frone, M., Eds.; American Psychological Association: Washington, DC, USA, 2004; pp. 15–34. [Google Scholar]
- Chengcheng, L.; Naiwen, L. The relation among coalminer′s self-efficacy, safety attitude and risk-taking behavior. Procedia Eng. 2010, 7, 352–355. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lund, I.O.; Rundmo, T. Cross-cultural comparisons of traffic safety, risk perception, attitudes and behaviour. Saf. Sci. 2009, 47, 547–553. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ross, J. How leadership can create an enduring safety culture. In Proceedings of the 11th AusIMM Underground Operators′ Conference, Canberra, Australia, 21–23 March 2011.
- Mearns, K. Safety culture and safety leadership: The way forward. In Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management, Seattle, WA, USA, 7–11 June 2010.
- Flin, R.; Yule, S. Managers for safety: Industrial experience. Qual. Saf. Health Care 2004, 13, 45–51. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zohar, D. The effects of managers′ dimensions, safety climate, and assigned priorities on minor injuries in work groups. J. Organ. Behav. 2002, 23, 75–92. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zohar, D.; Luria, G. A multilevel model of safety climate: Cross-level relationships between organization and group-level climates. J. Appl. Psychol. 2005, 90, 616–628. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Fernández-Muñiz, B.; Montes-Peón, J.M.; Vázquez-Ordás, C.J. Safety leadership, risk management and safety performance in Spanish firms. Saf. Sci. 2014, 70, 295–307. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Neal, A.; Griffin, M.A.; Hart, P.M. The impact of organizational climate on safety climate and individual behavior. Saf. Sci. 2000, 34, 99–109. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Williams, H.; Turner, N.; Parker, S. The compensatory role of transformational managers in promoting safety behaviors. In Proceedings of the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Toronto, ON, Canada, 4–9 August 2000.
- Zohar, D. A group-level model of safety climate: Testing the effect of group climate on microaccidents in manufacturing jobs. J. Appl. Psychol. 2000, 85, 587–596. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Mearns, K.; Whitaker, S.M.; Flin, R. Safety climate, safety management practice and safety performance in offshore environments. Saf. Sci. 2003, 41, 641–680. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Wu, T.C.; Chen, C.H.; Li, C.C. A correlation among safety managers, safety climate and safety performance. J. Loss Prev. Process Ind. 2008, 21, 307–318. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Wu, T.C.; Chang, S.H.; Shu, C.M.; Chen, C.T.; Wang, C.P. Safety leadership and safety performance in petrochemical industries: The mediating role of safety climate. J. Loss Prev. Process Ind. 2011, 24, 716–721. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Du, X.; Sun, W. Research on the Relationship between Safety Managers and Safety Climate in Coalmines. Procedia Eng. 2012, 45, 214–219. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kapp, E.A. The influence of supervisor managers′ practices and perceived group safety climate on employee safety performance. Saf. Sci. 2012, 50, 1119–1124. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Martínez-Córcoles, M.; Gracia, F.J.; Tomás, I.; Peiró, J.M. Managers and employees′ perceived safety behaviours in a nuclear power plant: A structural equation model. Saf. Sci. 2011, 49, 1118–1129. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Martínez-Córcoles, M.; Gracia, F.J.; Tomás, I.; Peiró, J.M.; Schöbel, M. Empowering team managers and safety performance in nuclear power plants: A multilevel approach. Saf. Sci. 2013, 51, 293–301. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- O′Dea, A.; Flin, R. Site managers and safety managers in the offshore oil and gas industry. Saf. Sci. 2001, 37, 39–57. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Cooper, M.D.; Phillips, R.A. Exploratory analysis of the safety climate and safety behavior relationship. J. Saf. Res. 2004, 35, 497–512. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Kelloway, E.K.; Mullen, J.; Francis, L. Divergent effects of transformational and passive managers on employee safety. J. Occup. Health Psychol. 2006, 11, 76–86. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Michael, J.H.; Guo, Z.G.; Wiedenbeck, J.K.; Ray, C.D. Production supervisor impacts on subordinates’ safety outcomes: An investigation of leader-member exchange and safety communication. J. Saf. Res. 2006, 37, 469–477. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Zohar, D. Safety climate in industrial organizations: Theoretical and applied implications. J. Appl. Psychol. 1980, 65, 96–102. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Guldenmund, F.W. The nature of safety culture: A review of theory and research. Saf. Sci. 2000, 34, 215–257. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Stewart, J.M. Managing for Word Class Safety; Wiley-Interscience Publication: New York, NY, USA, 2002. [Google Scholar]
- Safety Culture Measurement. Available online: http://www.safetyscience.cn/page/aqwhcl/122.php (accessed on 8 June 2016).
- Maslow, A.H. A theory of human motivation. Psychol. Rev. 1943, 50, 370–396. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Safety Concept Index | Description |
---|---|
A perception of the relative importance of safety | A deep understanding of the Chinese safety production policy “Safety being First, Mainly for Prevention, And to Control Comprehensively” is important, as it reflects senior managers’ opinions on the relationship among safety, profit, and production, as well as the degree of care in the policy of putting safety and prevention first. |
An understanding that casualties are preventable | “Zero accidents” is a common view of enterprises with good safety management at home and abroad and is achievable. This principle means that, if employees can realize that all accidents can be prevented, they will pay attention to safety details and make every effort to prevent accidents. |
An understanding that safety creates economic benefits | As long as managers are able to recognize the economic benefits (indirectly and in the long term), they will reasonably invest in safety. That safety creates economic benefits mainly manifests in loss and profit. |
The degree of safety merged into enterprise management | Before starting any project, safety should be considered first. According to the pyramid principle of safety, a 1 point of safety at the design stage is equivalent to 10 points of safety at the processing and manufacturing stages, and to 1000 points at the operation and production phases. |
The opinion that safety mainly depends on safety awareness | Having safety awareness means having the ability to find and deal with hazards timely. Not being aware of safety is the greatest hazard in work situations and is currently an important cause of accidents in production. In order to promote safety behaviors and a production facility’s safety conditions, safety awareness must first be ensured. |
An understanding the responsibility system of work safety | General responsibility standards should be aligned along those of government and enterprises. The government is the regulatory body of safety production, which requires the establishment of a safety production responsibility system for government administrative leaders, whereas enterprises are the main body of safety production, which also require the establishment of a safety production legal responsibility system. |
An opinion regarding safety investment | Safety investment refers to all costs of accident prevention, which mainly includes safety devices, safety training, safety activities, safety reward funds, and so on. Safety investment is essential to guarantee safe working conditions, and each enterprise should increase the money it spends on safety, in addition to that mandated by the State. |
The role of safety regulation | Workers′ safety and health should be legally safeguarded. Currently, there are over 30 special laws and administrative regulations on safety production in China. Enterprises need to do better than the requirements of safety laws and regulations in order to prevent major accidents. |
The degree to which managers are responsible for safety | Managers′ behaviors have been an important reference index in safety production, and enterprises should emphasize their responsibility for safety. They are the promoters of safety culture, the supporters of safety rules and regulations, the organizers of the implementation of the responsibility system of safety production, and the decision-makers with respect to enterprise safety resource investments. |
Demands for safety training | Safety training is an important way for the Chinese government to strengthen safety production. Safety training is not only a legal obligation but also a positive safety investment for enterprises to reduce accident losses. In addition, demands for safety training also reflect the level of individual safety awareness. |
An understanding of the role of safety management systems | An effective safety management system can enhance a staff′s ability to deal with safety problems, to deal with emergency situations, to control accidents, and to effectively minimize occupational risks. |
A mastery of safety methods | There are many methods in safety management. Enterprises should not only be familiar with their own safety methods but also adopt those of other companies. Different management methods have different emphases, applications, and implementation effects. Managers should master all safety methods and carry out effective safety management. |
Awareness of safety performance and human resources | Safety performance assessment and improvement are important to link enterprise performance management and safety management. Enterprises should make the performance evaluation index and evaluation method conducive to accident prevention. This makes employees aware that safety performance is directly related to their own benefit, thus paying more attention to safety. Effective appointments and the rational use of human resources based on matched talents and posts are also important. The maximum safety performance can be achieved only when staff can meet the work requirement and the best fit for the job. |
A recognition of the work of the safety department | Working as an assistant for enterprise managers, the safety department is responsible for making a production facility safe by developing excellent guidelines, by developing and implementing regulations and standards on safe production and labor protection, by checking the quality of the department′s safety systems and regulations, and by assisting in adopting correct measures for protecting workers from fatal and occupational injuries and diseases to make production process run smoothly. |
Emergency response capability | When accidents happen, the accident loss depends on the accident emergency ability of the enterprise and its staff. It is obvious that accidents can be avoided, but sometimes they may occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Personnel therefore should be able to deal with an emergency situation. In order to adopt effective and timely measures when an emergency occurs, the enterprise should produce detailed emergency plans. |
Question Number | Specific Questions | Second Stage, 2014 (Mean ± Standard Deviation) | First Stage, 2009 (Mean ± Standard Deviation) | t |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Perception of the relative importance of safety | 3.8986 ± 0.77638 | 3.6625 ± 1.60650 | 0.968 |
2 | Understanding that casualties are preventable | 4.2319 ± 1.20395 | 3.7262 ± 0.84099 | 1.554 |
3 | Understanding that safety creates economic benefits | 4.0435 ± 0.94266 | 4.4643 ± 0.73544 | −3.494 |
4 | Degree of safety merged into enterprise management | 4.9275 ± 0.31129 | 4.8571 ± 0.44296 | 1.388 |
5 | Opinion that safety mainly depends on safety awareness | 4.2029 ± 1.32444 | 4.5422 ± 1.08539 | −1.969 |
6 | Understanding the responsibility system of work safety | 3.9638 ± 1.06989 | 3.6786 ± 0.92046 | 2.028 |
7 | Opinion on safety investment | 3.2059 ± 1.44077 | 2.2024 ± 0.96667 | 5.645 |
8 | Role of safety regulation | 3.5036 ± 1.16394 | 2.1310 ± 0.69038 | 9.799 |
9 | Managers′ responsibility degree for safety | 3.2993 ± 1.03870 | 4.6429 ± 0.83078 | −10.045 |
10 | Demands for safety training | 4.8551 ± 0.47646 | 4.9048 ± 0.36797 | −0.818 |
11 | Understanding the role of safety management systems | 4.1014 ± 0.55750 | 3.4048 ± 1.60661 | 4.660 |
12 | Mastery of safety methods | 3.5556 ± 1.3082 | 4.9157 ± 0.27958 | −9.334 |
13 | Awareness of safety performance and human resources | 4.3206 ± 0.91372 | 3.0357 ± 1.35723 | 8.297 |
14 | Recognition of the work of the safety department | 4.8939 ± 0.44990 | 3.2500 ± 1.45515 | 19.485 |
15 | Emergency response capability | 4.0876 ± 1.20339 | 3.2619 ± 1.21357 | 4.935 |
© 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Zhang, J.; Chen, N.; Fu, G.; Yan, M.; Kim, Y.-C. The Safety Attitudes of Senior Managers in the Chinese Coal Industry. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13, 1147. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13111147
Zhang J, Chen N, Fu G, Yan M, Kim Y-C. The Safety Attitudes of Senior Managers in the Chinese Coal Industry. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2016; 13(11):1147. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13111147
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhang, Jiangshi, Na Chen, Gui Fu, Mingwei Yan, and Young-Chan Kim. 2016. "The Safety Attitudes of Senior Managers in the Chinese Coal Industry" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 13, no. 11: 1147. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13111147