An Investigation of the Correlation between Safety Locus of Control and Occupational Accidents in Selected Medium-sized Manufacturing Industries in Qom Province, Iran, 2015

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Today, occupational accidents impose many direct and indirect costs on communities. In order to prevent the occurrence of work-related accidents, it is necessary that environmental factors be considered along with personal factors, such as safety Locus of control (SLOC). The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between safety locus of control and occupational accidents in two manufacturing companies in Qom province in 2015. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 163 workers who participated in the census. The tools used for data collection were valid questionnaire for SLOC and demographic questionnaire, and accidents were stated as self-report. Data were analyzed using t-, one-way ANOVA, and Poisson regression statistical tests. Results: Among all workers, 52.8% were female and others were male. The average age of the workers was 29.8±6.6 years. A total of 37 (22.8%) workers had experienced occupational accident. Also, score of SLOC was 39.1±6.7. Among the demographic variables, there was no significant relationship between work history and number of occupational accidents (p=0.06), but there was a significant relationship between external control (one of the SLOC subscales) and occupational accidents (p<0.05). Conclusion: Based on the findings, subjects who perceive positive or negative events as consequences of their own behavior, and attribute them to chance, fate, and uncontrollable environmental factors, experience more occupational accidents compared to other people. Hence, paying attention to psychological and cognitive factors in work environments should be a priority for managers and decision makers of the industry.  

Keywords

• occupational health
• internal-external control
• accidents
• occupational
• psychology
• health.