Workplace accidents are a major concern for organizations worldwide, with damages reaching $198 billion dollars a year in the U.S. alone (National Safety Council, 2014). Research indicates that while situational factors are important for understanding workplace accidents, they are often mediated by individual factors (Griffin & Neal, 2000; Lawton & Parker, 1998). Seldom, however, are job applicants assessed for these individual factors before they are hired.

We reviewed the professional literature in order to model some of the most relevant individual antecedents of workplace accidents, and measure them collectively for selection purposes. The two main dimensions that emerged were personality traits and biodata, each consisting of three constructs. Regarding personality: Risk avoidance (Meerton & Lion, 2008, Nicholson et al., 2005, Zuckerman, 1979), internal locus of control (Forcier et al., 2001), and stress tolerance (Forcier et al., 2001) were identified. Regarding biodata, the most relevant constructs found were prior work related incidents (Schmidt & Hunter, 1998), safety performance (Christianet al., 2009), and safety knowledge (Campbell et al., 1993; Christian et al., 2009).

A self-report inventory was designed to tap these six competencies, which were then cross validated using two Latin American samples of manufacturing plant employees (n=302). Overall, the inventory was found to be a valid predictor of two criteria: Company records of prior workplace accidents (-.32), and supervisor safety performance ratings (.27).

This study presents preliminary evidence for a new psychometric tool of workplace safety that may be used for personnel selection, and the placement of individuals in work environments that that match their risk levels. Noteworthy aspects of this study are its use of multiple predictor dimensions and multiple criterion measures, as well as the use of non-American samples of actual employees. Additional theoretical and practical implications will be discussed.

References

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Christian, M. S., Bradley, J. C., Wallace C.  J., & Burke, M. J. (2009). Workplace safety: A meta-analysis of the roles of person and situational factors. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(5), 1103-1127.

Forcier, B. H., Walters, A. E., Brasher, E. E., & Jones, J. W. (2001) Creating a safer working environment through psychological assessment: A review of a measure of safety consciousness. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 22(1), 53-65.

Griffin, M. A., & Neal, A. (2000). Perceptions of safety at work: A framework for linking safety climate to safety performance, knowledge, and motivation. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 5(3), 347-358.

Lawton, R., & Parker, D. (1998). Individual differences in accident liability: A review and integrative approach. Human Factors, 40(4), 655-671.

Meerton, R. M., & Lion, R. (2008). Measuring an individual’s tendency to take risks: The Risk Propensity Scale. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 38(6), 1506–1520.

National Safety Council. (2014). Injury Facts. Itasca, IL: Author.

Nicholson, N., Soane, E., Fenton-O’Creevy, M., & Willman, P. (2005). Personality and domain-specific risk taking. Journal of Risk Research, 8, 157–176.

Schmidt, F. L., & Hunter, J. E. (1998). The Validity and utility of selection methods in personnel psychology: Practical and theoretical implications of 85 years of research. Psychological Bulletin, 124(2), 262-274.

Zuckerman, M. (1979). Sensation-seeking: Beyond the optimal level of arousal. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.