Work safety climate. Comparison of selected occupational groups

exposed to long-term stimulation, accompanied by high expectations regarding quality and performance standards, often constituting a regulator of production or sales profitability [42], and this often results in a high pace of work and in high fatigue accompanying it. Compared to them, a significant part of rescuers’ working time is taken up by long periods of relative calm, waiting, and being on alert. The psychophysical strain during drills is not as high as the level of stimulation during a real rescue operation either [37]. Therefore, the work of mine rescuers involves operating in extreme conditions, from minimum to maximum stimulation, from long periods of wait, training preparing for activities and drills to stay physically fit to actual participation in emergency situations during the rescue operation. All routine activities per- formed by rescuers are also subject to appropriate planning, and much care is taken to make sure their work is healthy, including ensuring an appropriate balance between activity and rest time. Also, as rescuers are required to stay at the rescue stations, this forces them to function according to a suitable daily rhythm. Significantly higher ratings attributed to such work safety climate dimensions as occupa- tional health and safety training and workplace accident risk management by mine rescuers may also be associated with the specific nature of their work. Mine rescuers, representing a dif- ficult and dangerous profession, experience negative effects resulting from the threats associ-

ated with the occupational activities undertaken, both at the somatic and at the psychological level. Their minimization is based on a good knowledge of the ways of coping in an emergency situation at the cognitive level (recognition and appropriate assessment of the threat and of the related risk) and at the technical level (appropriate use of measuring and protective equip- ment), physical fitness and mental resilience, as well as proper communication and coordina- tion of work within the rescue unit. This process is based on continuous training of the rescuers, based on the analysis of past situations and on simulation of behavior in potential sit- uations that might occur in the future [35]. The scope of responsibility of superiors in this particular occupational group is also not without importance for the explanation of the significantly lower rating attributed by mine res- cuers, compared to industrial production line workers, to such dimensions of the work safety climate as safe behaviors and management engagement. The composition of the rescue unit is not random. Care is taken to make sure that it is permanent, that the unit is composed of suit- ably selected people who complete drills together before proceeding to a rescue operation. During rescue actions, the rescuer must absolutely obey the orders of the unit leader, and is not allowed to comply with third-party orders. Sometimes it is impossible to contact higher- level superiors during the action, and the conditions may be extremely dangerous. In such a

situation, the unit operates as if it were autonomous, with decisions made only by the unit leader, who bears individual responsibility for them [35]. Industrial production line workers, in turn, are subject to constant, direct supervision during the performance of their work, with the aim of eliminating on a systematic basis any behaviors and situations posing a threat. The composition of worker groups is frequently modified depending on the shift work rhythm or recruitment of new team members. The activities of managers and representatives of occupa- tional health and safety services are watched by employees in everyday practice and focus on modeling behaviors in line with the procedures in force and with the job training given to new hires. Workers are expected rather to contribute to the creation of a safe working environment than to make decisions autonomously when a threat occurs [5,6,41]. Compared to retail workers, mine rescuers also rated significantly lower the dimensions involving modeling and enhancing safe behaviors in the organization and atmosphere in the workplace. The results obtained confirm the results of previous research in this area [42–44], related to the importance of the sense of mission and bonding within the rescuer group. They show that although these aspects are important, appropriate equipment, training and effective PLOS ONE Work safety climate PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243056 December 14, 2020 14 / 19

the diagnosis and during the formulation of practical recommendations, of such dimensions of work as the nature of the threats and the possible consequences resulting from failure to comply with safety rules (in terms of economic losses and damage to health). Important factors are include the scope and direct nature of management supervision, including the role of man- agers in modeling safe behaviors among the staff, co-responsibility for their own and their co- workers’ safety, and the manner of conducting the required training to shape safe behaviors in the workplace and raise awareness of the existing risks. A diagnosis of the work safety climate, taking into account the specificities of the individual sectors, makes it possible to provide recommendations containing guidelines on measures con- tributing to the shaping of a high culture of work safety and of the safety of the people employed in the organization. Recommendations, depending on the outcome of the diagnosis, may con- cern both training and other possible forms of impact, such as e.g. shaping the appropriate atti- tudes and making sure that appropriate role models are provided, which is in particular the role of leaders and managers, as well as the scope of implementation of motivation programs, imple- mented by the departments dealing with safety and HRM. Emphasis should be placed on the appropriate manner of communicating important recommendations to the subordinates, acting on these recommendations within the teams, and modifications related to work ergonomics to

reduce physical effort and excessive mental strain (monitoring workers’ health and well-being). Research limitations The limitations of the research include reducing the results obtained to only three occupational groups. It is advisable that other groups be taken into account in further work, exposed to threats of a different nature in the workplace. The limitations of the research also include the unequal proportion of women and men in the occupational groups studied, which may have determined the results of the study. In the research presented here, there was a more or less equal balance between men (49%) and women (51%) in the industrial production line worker group, while the group of retail workers was dominated by women (84% of the respondents), and the mine rescuer group included only men due to the legal restrictions excluding women from this profession. As it has already been demonstrated [45], gender is an important factor that may differentiate the perception of the work safety climate. The research results indicate that women differ from men in terms of the types of threats identified, they may react PLOS ONE Work safety climate PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243056 December 14, 2020 15 / 19

differently to stress, and assess individual dimensions of the work safety climate differently from men [46]. An important aspect may also be the position of the studied individuals within the organi- zational structure. Research [47] proves that the higher this position is, and consequently the more responsible the respective individuals are for shaping the safety culture in the organiza- tion and the larger impact they have on it, the more positively they rate the safety climate. This variable was not taken into account in the studied groups. Schwatka et al. [26] and Noort et al. [48] also point to the differences in the perception of the work safety climate resulting from the form of employment (e.g. workers employed by construction subcontractor companies rate climate lower). The research presented in this paper does not take into account data such as the legal form of the employment contract either. It is possible that the survey respondents employed in industry or retail included temporary employment agency workers. Directions for future research We believe that the results obtained may provide the basis for the development of programs aimed at modifying dangerous behaviors, based on studies of multiple dimensions of the work safety climate, which can be implemented in practice. Such programs, for instance in the form of workshops, could contribute to an improvement of the safety culture and of the quality of life of workers representing the occupational groups distinguished. The research presented in this paper did not take into account individual factors related to

personality traits or other inherent predispositions of individuals working in the relevant occu- pations, either. We believe that it would be desirable to supplement the research model with external and organizational determinants as well as ones related to the specific nature of the work performed by representatives of the individual occupational groups, physical and mental health, as well as selected psychological traits of the employees, such as personality and tempera- mental characteristics, e.g. perseverance, conscientiousness, motivation of achievements, willing- ness to compete, sense of coherence and self-efficacy, dispositional optimism and ways of coping with stress, social support and other traits, which may translate into the way in which people behave in the workplace in safety-related situations [49]. National culture may also constitute an important variable, so comparisons between organizations with similar work specificities, oper- ating in different countries and on different continents, could lead to some interesting insights. Combining these factors into a single coherent model would make it possible to provide a fuller picture of the significant determinants of work safety climate assessment determinants. This could be achieved by using a cultural adaptation of the tool used in the presented research to study the safety climate in the organization (version in English and Polish in the appendix), potentially applied in broader analyses of the determinants of safe behavior of employees.

The results of systematic research could also serve as a basis for comparing individual units within the organization, between branches of the organization located in different countries, or workplaces with a similar activity profile. This in turn would make it possible to identify the most effective operating practices within the specific company as well as among the entities operating in the analyzed industry. Research on the work safety climate in individual organiza- tions could therefore constitute an element of benchmarking in the management of safety in the organization and in the industry as a whole. Conclusions The research results obtained are in line with the previous reports of other researchers, pre- senting differences in the assessment of the work safety climate by representatives of different PLOS ONE Work safety climate PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243056 December 14, 2020 16 / 19

occupational groups. No differences were found in the present research between the studied representatives of the three occupational groups together only with regard to work safety cli- mate dimensions such as organizational occupational health and safety management policy and technical facilities and ergonomics. This may result from the universality of the require- ments, present in the law, set for organizations precisely with regard to these aspects of safe behavior. However, the differences observed in the assessment of the remaining work safety climate dimensions organizations induce the promotion of additional activities in organiza- tions in a more differentiated and individualized way, which should take into account the spec- ificity of the work and the nature of the specific threats occurring in the working environment of the representatives of the different occupations. Learning about the safety climate and diagnosing it has not only theoretical, but also appli- cational significance. The difference revealed in the assessment of the work safety climate thus becomes a reason for working on practical safety measures, not only in the procedural and technical dimension, but also taking into account its other aspects, including social and psy- chological ones. It can be the basis for creating and implementing prevention program, designed adequately to the diagnosed specificity of the issues, and for strengthening the regula- tions and practices functioning in organizations that require corrective actions. Supporting information S1 Data. Work safety climate. (XLSX)

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