Encouraging self-protective employee behavior: What do we know?

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:269103

Peters, R H ^[1]

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1. Pittsburgh Research Center, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

How can employees be stopped from engaging in unsafe work practices? It is often easier to prevent employees from performing unsafe acts through manipulations of the work environment than through various training or motivational programs. Therefore, it is important that accident prevention programs seek to identify the reasons for the unsafe behavior and to redesign tasks and the work environment (e.g., tools, equipment, physical surroundings) in order to remove employees from sources of harm and to prevent situations from arising that would prompt them to perform unsafe acts. Unfortunately, in the mining industry the work environment is often innately hazardous, rapidly changing, and difficult to predict, making it very difficult, perhaps impossible, to fully protect the employee by environmental manipulations. Therefore, it is important that effective methods be identified for influencing mine employees to work safely. Various strategies have been used to convince employees to avoid unsafe acts and/or adopt self-protective behaviors. The intent of this article is to provide guidance to mine operators concerning the use of four techniques for influencing mine employees to work safely: (1) employee surveys, (2) incentives, (3) fear communications, and (4) disciplinary actions.

• OSTI ID: 269103
• Report Number(s): CONF-9508117--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
ATTITUDES
BEHAVIOR
COAL INDUSTRY
COAL MINERS
COAL MINES
SAFETY