The Safety Attitudes of Senior Managers in the Chinese Coal Industry

Abstract

Introduction: Senior managers' attitudes towards safety are very important regarding the safety practices in an organization. The study is to describe the current situation of senior managers' attitudes towards safety in the Chinese coal industry. Method: We evaluated the changing trends as well as the reasons for these changes in the Chinese coal industry in 2009 and in 2014 with 168 senior manager samples from large Chinese state-owned coal enterprises. Evaluations of 15 safety concepts were performed by means of a questionnaire. Results and Conclusions: Results indicate that, in 2014, three concepts were at a very high level (mean > 4.5), and six were at a relatively high level (4.5 > mean > 4.0). Analyses of changing trends revealed that nine concepts improved significantly, while four greatly declined in 2014 compared to those in 2009. The data reported here suggest that the reasons for the significant improvement with respect to the nine concepts include the improvement in social and legal environments, the improvement of the culture of social safety, workers' safety demands being met, and scientific and technical advances in the coal industry. The decline of the four concepts seemed to be caused by a poor awareness of managers in the coal industry that safety creates economic benefits, insufficient information on safety, inadequate attention to the development of a safety culture and safety management methods, and safety organizations and workers' unions not playing their role effectively. Practical Applications: We therefore recommend strengthening the evidence that safety creates economic benefits, providing incentives for employees to encourage their participation in safety management, and paying more attention to the prevention of accidents in coal mines via safety organizations and unions. These results can provide guidelines for workers, industrialists, and government regarding occupational safety in the whole coal industry.

Valuing mortality risk in China: Comparing stated-preference estimates from 2005 and 2016

“…16 In China's occupational-health and safety realm, evidence of such increasing stringency is mixed. The two primary laws on workplace safety and prevention of occupational diseases have each been strengthened twice in the last decade, but enforcement is still believed to lag (Zhou 2018), with possible exceptions such as in the coal mining industry (Zhang et al 2016). On environment, laws, regulations, and enforcement have developed considerably in recent years.…”

Metalliferous Mine Dust: Human Health Impacts and the Potential Determinants of Disease in Mining Communities

“…Managers' attitudes to safety and miners' roles affect health outcomes [52,114]. Psychological stress levels in Australian miners were higher than in non-mine workers, with alcohol use, work role (as managers), level of work satisfaction, financial factors and job insecurity contributing factors.…”

Development and Validation of a Safety Attitude Scale for Coal Miners in China

“…Hui et al measured food handlers' attitudes towards food safety through a scale of 14 items [13]. Zhang et al studied the safety attitude of senior managers in the coal mining industry and concluded that it played a very important role in the safe operation of a mining organization [14].…”