Relationship Between Companies' Responses to Near-Miss Reports and Turnover Intentions of Workers: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Effective near-miss management is important in preventing workplace accidents. A company's inadequate response to near-miss reports can lead workers to feel insecure and dissatisfied with the company. We investigated the relationship between companies' responses to near-miss reports and turnover intentions of workers. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using online self-administered questionnaire survey to workers aged ≥20 years in Japan in March 2022. The analysis included 5,071 participants who had near-miss experiences and reported them to their companies. The independent variable was companies' responses to near-miss reports, classified into three categories: adequate response group, inadequate response group, and no response group. The dependent variable was turnover intentions. We calculated the odds ratio and 95% confidential interval (CI) using multilevel logistic regression analyses nested for industries and adjusted for covariates. Results: Of the 5,071 participants, 3,058 (60.3%) were adequate response group, 1,484 (29.3%) were inadequate response group, and 529 (10.4%) were no response group. In multivariable adjusted model, compared with adequate response group, the odds ratio of inadequate response group and no response group were 1.80 (95% CI: 1.56–2.08) and 2.63 (95% CI: 2.15–3.22), respectively. Conclusion: Our results suggested that there was a relationship between companies' responses to the near-miss reports and turnover intentions of workers. It is important not only to collect near-misses but also to respond appropriately to the reports and provide feedback to workers.

Keywords

• Near-miss
• Response
• Safety climate
• Turnover intention
• Workplace