Influence of respondent type on relationships between safety climate and safety performance in manufacturing firm

The purpose of this study is to analyze the interrelation between the dimensions of safety climate and of safety performance in the Indian manufacturing industries. A cross-sectional survey was carried out using a sample of 242 manufacturing employees from five small- and medium-scale industries across north India. An organized questionnaire was developed to acquire participant’s demographic attributes and safety climate and safety performance factors. In accordance with the literature review, a model is hypothesized to demonstrate the interrelations between safety climate and safety performance. It was examined and validated by applying confirmatory factor analysis on calibration and validation sub-samples, respectively. In addition, to analyze the moderating effects of respondent type, structural equation modeling was used. This study resulted that the impact of safety performance on safety participation and safety compliance was significantly positive whereas the impact on the number of self-reported accidents/injuries and near misses was significantly negative. The study assists the frame of understanding by uncovering the divergence in subsisting constructs of safety climate and safety performance. An accurate model is presumed to briefly determine the safety climate and safety performance in the Indian manufacturing industries; while concluding the results of the study to other developing countries, prudence must be applied.