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Determinanten van veilig werken bij machineoperators in de plaatverwerkende industrie

Verroen, Robbert J. (2009) Determinanten van veilig werken bij machineoperators in de plaatverwerkende industrie.

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Abstract:In cooperation with SMI association ‘Federatie Dunne Plaat’ in Nieuwegein, research was carried out looking for the factors that contribute to safe work among machine operators working in the sheet metalwork industry. This research was carried out due to the high percentage of accidents in the metal sector and their consequences for employees and employers. In practice, machine operators seem to ignore safety measures. The safety protection will be removed or an often used machine in the sheet metalwork industry – in Dutch called the ‘kantbank’ – will be used without good safety protection or in a wrong manner. These sorts of risk behaviour often cause accidents. To execute this research, a questionnaire was used based on the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT). This choice was made because this theory can explain why people violate safety rules. However, this theory doesn’t reckon with social influence. Therefore, also parts of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) where used. This research was executed under Dutch machine operators. All worked in one of seven sheet metalwork industries in the Dutch provinces Brabant, Overijssel or Gelderland who were asked to engage in the research. All companies were members of the Dutch SMI association ‘Federatie Dunne Plaat’ and were randomly chosen from their member list. In total, 145 questionnaires were send from which 119 were returned. The response rate was thus 82 %. From all questionnaires, only one could not be used within the research because it wasn’t filled in completely. Results showed that machine operators of the sheet metalwork industry often operate in the danger zone of the moving machines. Only 16% of the respondents indicate that they have never operated in the danger zone of the moving machines. After using regression analyses, clear predictors for explaining the behaviour could be found. The factors disadvantages of safe work, vulnerability and self efficacy showed to have a direct influence on the intention to engage in more safe work. Intention predicted the eventual behaviour. These results support the PMT. Also more surprising results were found. Strikingly, the disadvantages of safe work and self efficacy appear to have a direct influence on the eventual behaviour. Different than expected, social influence did not have an effect on the behaviour of the respondents. Somewhat remarkable, because the absence of social norms is the most important criticism on the PMT. The reason why social norms are absent, is unclear. In this research, the PMT has shown to be a model that can be used in the work context to predict and explain behaviour. The most important advice for the sheet metalwork industry is to reduce the perceived disadvantages of safe work by machine operators. This will increase the motivation to work safe.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:77 psychology
Programme:Psychology MSc (66604)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/59126
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