A New Approach to the Assessment of the Safety Environment and Performance in the Footwear Industry

Abstract

Safety climate refers to an individual’s perception of safety in the workplace, which is essential in the labor-intensive industries, one of which is the footwear industry. References about the implementation of safety climate measurements are still lacking. This study focuses on the safety climate amongst management and employees, the correlation between climates and safety performance, along with the employees’ perspective in safety management in a footwear company in Bandung. Indonesian translations of Nordic Occupational Safety Climate Questionnaire responses from 163 employees and ten supervisors (managers) were verified by observations of workplace conditions coupled with informal discussions with the supervisors. Findings show that safety perception of the managers is similar to the employees. From the observations of the workplace conditions and discussions with the members of the industry, the managers’ responses reflected the espoused policies. Meaning, there is an indication of misalignment between the espoused policies and enacted practices. Several managerial implications are suggested to develop a better safety climate.