The relationship between safety climate and recent accidents: behavioral learning and cognitive attributions.

Objective: The association between accidents and subsequent work unit safety perceptions was assessed to address cognitive and behavioral changes following accidents.

Background: Many studies attempt to predict accident rates using measures of work unit safety, but effects vary considerably. Conversely, this study examined whether recent accidents may be positively associated with work unit safety perceptions, as suggested by behavioral learning mechanisms (increases in safety investments following accidents) or cognitive mechanisms (defensive attributions regarding accident causality).

Method: Lagged squadron-level accident experience was correlated with work unit safety perceptions obtained through a 61-question safety climate survey administered to 6,361 individuals in U.S. Navy flight squadrons.

Results: Positive associations between minor or intermediately severe accidents and future safety climate scores were found, although no effect was found for major accidents.

Conclusion: We suggest that accident history should be considered when examining work unit safety perceptions because recent accidents may be associated with higher safety climate scores. We did not find that this varies systematically with accident severity, and longitudinal research on additional samples is needed to further test this possibility.

Application: This research may be used to refine measurement of work unit safety and to examine impacts of accidents or safety violations on workers' cognitive processes and group behavioral changes.