Decreased Job Security Without Change in Safety During Hydrocarbon Industry Recession

Abstract

Economic recessions may decrease an organization’s investment in maintenance, training and safety management, and may thus have a negative impact on safety. The present study examines how job security and safety changed during and after a major recession in the Norwegian hydrocarbon industry. Interviews with HSEQ officers in ship-owning companies informed our hypotheses about what effects the recession may have had on safety perception among crew members. Three cross-sectional surveys of maritime hydrocarbon workers were conducted in 2013 (N = 829), 2015 (N = 444), and 2017 (N = 555). The results showed that although the crew’s perceptions of job security decreased from 2013 to 2017, their perceptions of safety climate did not change. Attitudes to safety and to reporting declined from 2013 to 2015, then improved from 2015 to 2017, indicating that the recession had a temporary effect on the crew’s motivation and intention to comply with the safety regulations. Potential organizational and individual explanations are discussed.