Enhancing Safety Climate Through Occupational Safety and Health Training in the Healthcare Setting: The mediating Role of Safety Communication
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64297/jmrsmet.v1i2.32Keywords:
Occupational Safety and Health, Safety climate, Healthcare settingAbstract
Introduction: Healthcare workers face a myriad of distinct risks in the healthcare settings. Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) training and OSH communication are essential for attaining and changing the safety climate. This study sought to examine the direct effect of OSH training on safety climate, examine the mediating role of OSH communication and explore the interrelationships among OSH training, OSH communication, and safety climate in the healthcare setting. Methods: A cross-sectional survey involving 250 health professionals (doctors, nurses and technical staff) was conducted using structured questionnaire on perception of OSH training, OSH communication and safety climate. Data were analyzed to conduct impact, correlation, and mediation analysis for the relationships among these variables using Structured Equation Modeling (SEM) and SPSS software tools. Results: The results showed that OSH training directly and positively influences OSH communication (β =0.54) and safety climate (β =0.52), and OSH communication has a significant positive effect on the safety climate (β =0.25). Mediation analysis revealed that OSH communication partially mediates the relationship between OSH training and safety climate, indicating that OSH training becomes more effective when it is combined with well-defined and consistent communication about safety issues within organizational context. Conclusion: The results support that vital OSH training initiatives combined with a strategic OSH communication program may help to foster a favorable safety climate in healthcare. The dual impact of training and communication elucidated in this study provides potential practical significance for hospital administrators seeking to improve the culture of safety while preventing occupational risks.
Keywords: healthcare setting, mediation analysis, occupational safety and health, safety climate, structural equation modeling (SEM)
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