The Role of Safety Climate on Work-Related Musculoskeletal Discomfort and Productivity

Abstract

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are among the most common occupational disorders in many jobs. WMSDs are known as an influential factor in work productivity. Also, an important factor that may influence the occupational health of individuals is the safety climate. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between WMSDs, work productivity and safety climate. Methods: This quantitative, theoretical and descriptive study was performed on 344 employees. The samples were randomly selected. Data were gathered by means of the Body Map, Safety Climate, and Work Productivity questionnaires. This study was conducted on different types of jobs from three types of industries. STATISTICA software was used for all data analyses (SPSS Version 23) with a significant level of P <0.01. Results: One-way analysis of variance was used to examine the significant differences between industries and jobs, which indicated that there is a statistically significant difference. Correlations between the WMSDs, work productivity, and safety climate was tested using the parametric Pearson correlation coefficient that showed a significant negative correlation between WMSDs with work productivity and safety climate. Positive correlations were found between safety climate and work productivity. Conclusion: In general, safety climate and work productivity are important for the health and safety of employees, and this study showed that it might be also important for employees in construction industries.