The impact of safety management practices on technicians' safety behaviour: examining safety orientation as a mediator.

Abstract

Objectives. Many industries globally strive to ensure the safety of their workforce in order to achieve the goal of economic advancement. As such, employers prioritize workers' safety skills, making this study essential in examining the impact of safety management practices on technicians' safety behaviour, with safety orientation as a mediator. Methods. Using a correlational research design, a sample of 821 electrical installation and maintenance work (EIMW) technicians was selected through stratified sampling from the Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering. Data were collected using instruments adapted from existing literature on safety management practices (management commitment, safety training, technician's involvement, safety communication and feedback, safety rules and procedures), safety orientation and safety performance. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted using SPSS version 25 and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using AMOS SPSS version 23 for analysing the hypotheses. Results. Management commitment, safety training, safety communication and feedback positively influenced safety compliance, while technicians' involvement and safety promotion policies positively impacted safety participation. Safety orientation did not mediate the relationship between management commitment and safety compliance. Conclusion. The study recommends that management in industries should engage in a safety leadership walk where there is a regular tour to address safety concerns in real time.