Australian Researchers Uncover Key to Promoting Safer Workplaces

Motivated employees who take initiative at work could hold the key to making Australian workplaces safer, according to researchers from Australia and the UK.

The paper, ‘Proactivity towards workplace safety improvement: an investigation of its motivational drivers and organisational outcomes,’ was conducted with researchers from Leeds Beckett University in the UK and co-authored by researchers from Curtin University.

The paper examined the role of safety in the workplace, what motivates an employee to initiate safety-related change in their jobs, and the positive impact this has on an organisation.

“Employers need to not only ensure that their employees are compliant with the safety rules and procedures in place, but instead take initiative and act proactively when faced with challenging situations that may put other colleagues at risk,” Professor Griffin said.

“Our research showed that employees who were compliant with the safety rules in an organisation, but did not take initiative, were less likely to be effective when it came to dealing with risks and hazards in the workplace.”

Co-author ARC Laureate Fellow Professor Sharon Parker said employees played a critical role in helping stem the disturbing level of work-related accidents and injuries around the world.

“Most employees have the skills, expertise and local knowledge to prevent problems and accidents in the workplace, but we wanted to understand why only some will go the extra step to initiate better overall safety.”

“Our research also showed that employees who took ownership of situations, had strong capabilities and a future-focused outlook were more likely to make changes that improved workplace safety when they faced a potential difficulty or stressful event.”

Access the research paper here.