Work-safety tension, perceived risk, and worker injuries: a meso-mediational model.
BACKGROUND
Work-safety tension arises when workers perceive that working safely is at odds with effectively doing their jobs. We proposed that workers' perceptions of work-safety tension would be associated with higher levels of perceived risk, which would, in turn, relate to worker injuries on the job.


METHODS
Grocery store workers (n=600) completed an online survey and organizational worker injury reports were obtained for a two-year period following the survey. Survey results were linked to subsequent worker injuries using hierarchical generalized linear modeling.


RESULTS
We found support for the proposed meso-mediation model: department work-safety tension predicted subsequent worker injuries, partially through an association with workers' risk perceptions.


CONCLUSIONS
Safety researchers and consultants and organizational leaders should look beyond typically-examined safety climate constructs, such as management commitment to safety, and pay particular attention to workers' perceptions of work-safety tension.
Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Unit 1020 Storrs, CT 06269-1020, USA. Alyssa.McGonagle@UConn.edu
Alyssa K
AK
McGonagle
Lisa M
LM
Kath
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003625:Data Collection; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017751:Safety Management