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Safety climate in trucking industry and its effects on safety outcomes

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Abstract

We developed a safety climate scale for the trucking industry and confirmed its criterion validity by correlations with safety outcome measures. A questionnaire survey was conducted to elicit safety climate in the trucking industry. A total of 1,028 responses (54 % response rate) were collected from truck drivers working for 49 trucking companies in Japan. Incident records between 2004 and 2008 were obtained from 21 out of the 49 companies that we surveyed safety climate. Following a factor extraction criteria (Horn’s parallel analysis), six factors on safety climate were elicited by applying principal component analysis with the Promax rotation, yielding 39 % of cumulative variance. Significant correlations with safety outcome measures were identified for the following safety climate factors: strong awareness of safety management/systems, teamwork, and realistic competence-based view. Safety climate contributes positively to the safety performance in a trucking organisation. Safety climate assessment using the factors developed in this paper is applicable as a proactive approach to risk reduction in the trucking industry.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Keiichi Higuchi, President of the National Trucking Business Cooperative, for his support and cooperation throughout this study. We would like to acknowledge Yukiko Sato and Hidetoshi Furuno of the same organisation for their arrangement of the survey and data collection. We thank managers of trucking companies that we surveyed and their drivers for their participation in the survey.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Graduate School of Decision Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Oh-okayama Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8552, Japan

    Ya Li & Kenji Itoh

Authors
  1. Ya Li
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  2. Kenji Itoh
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ya Li.

Appendix: English translation of safety climate-related items

Appendix: English translation of safety climate-related items

  1. 1.

    The distribution centre provides adequate, timely information about events in this company that might affect my work.

  2. 2.

    I am sure management will never compromise safety for profitability.

  3. 3.

    Morale in this company is good.

  4. 4.

    My safety suggestions will be acted upon if I express them to my superiors.

  5. 5.

    I am proud to work for this company.

  6. 6.

    My colleagues are adequately trained in emergency procedures.

  7. 7.

    I am encouraged by my superiors to report any unsafe conditions I may observe.

  8. 8.

    Senior drivers deserve extra benefits and privileges.

  9. 9.

    When I start an everyday driving task, I always receive a proper handover if necessary.

  10. 10.

    I stop driving and take a rest when my workload is becoming (or about to become) excessive.

  11. 11.

    The drivers in this company are well informed and understand the company’s policies of safety management.

  12. 12.

    I like my job.

  13. 13.

    This company practices the highest maintenance standards of vehicles.

  14. 14.

    I try to be a person that others in the distribution centre will enjoy working with.

  15. 15.

    My colleagues sometimes use a mobile phone while driving a truck.

  16. 16.

    Drivers are well trained to cope with fatigue in this company.

  17. 17.

    It makes no difference to me which company I drive a truck for.

  18. 18.

    This company deals constructively with problem drivers.

  19. 19.

    It is better to agree with others than to voice a different opinion.

  20. 20.

    It is important that my competence be acknowledged by others in the distribution centre.

  21. 21.

    Open, frank discussion between drivers is helpful for maintaining safety.

  22. 22.

    Alcohol presents a safety problem of truck driving in my company.

  23. 23.

    I value compliments about my work.

  24. 24.

    Accidents and near-misses are always reported according to company orders.

  25. 25.

    More attention should be paid to sleep and sleeping possibilities in a truck during break or waiting for next task.

  26. 26.

    Even when fatigued, I perform effectively while driving a truck.

  27. 27.

    Asking for assistance or help makes one appear incompetent.

  28. 28.

    We should be aware of and sensitive to the personal problems of other drivers.

  29. 29.

    The company’s rules should not be broken even when the driver thinks it is in the company’s best interest.

  30. 30.

    I am usually consulted on matters that affect the performance of my duties.

  31. 31.

    Working for this company is like being part of a large family.

  32. 32.

    Leaders and senior staff who encourage suggestions from drivers are weak.

  33. 33.

    My decision making ability is as good in emergencies as in routine conditions.

  34. 34.

    A debriefing and critique of procedures and decisions after critical situations are important for safety.

  35. 35.

    Leaders in the distribution centre well understand relevant operational intentions and actions relating to driving tasks.

  36. 36.

    Junior drivers should not question decisions made by leaders in the distribution centre.

  37. 37.

    As long as the work gets done, I don’t care what others think of me.

  38. 38.

    I am more likely to make errors in an emergency.

  39. 39.

    If I perceive someone’s error, I will report it to a leader or senior staff, regardless of who might be affected.

  40. 40.

    I am ashamed when I make a mistake in front of others.

  41. 41.

    I am less effective when stressed or fatigued.

  42. 42.

    Errors are signs of incompetence.

  43. 43.

    Leaders in this company or the distribution centre listen to drivers and care about our concerns.

  44. 44.

    A truly professional driver can leave personal problems behind when performing a driving activity.

  45. 45.

    Effective job performance requires taking into account other operators’ personalities.

  46. 46.

    Socialising among the drivers can help reduce stress.

  47. 47.

    Mistakes are handled appropriately in the distribution centre where I work.

  48. 48.

    When I encounter a trouble, I rely on my superiors to tell me what to do.

  49. 49.

    Drivers should report their own psychological stress or physical problem to the leaders in the distribution centre before or during a job (when they have it).

  50. 50.

    Human error is inevitable.

  51. 51.

    The concept of all personnel working as a team does not work in our distribution centre.

  52. 52.

    Personal problems can adversely affect my performance.

  53. 53.

    I always ask questions when I feel there is something I don’t understand.

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Li, Y., Itoh, K. Safety climate in trucking industry and its effects on safety outcomes. Cogn Tech Work 16, 131–142 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-013-0252-0

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