Issue link: https://industrialmanagement.epubxp.com/i/285723
14 Industrial Management situations. For this reason, this factor often comes into play when they are under stress. Decision-making and actions often are quite different under normal versus stressful conditions. Individuals who stay in control tend to engage in safer behavior because they feel personal ownership of their own safety and because they can control their emotions when the pressure is on. 2. Aware of surroundings: This second factor consists of various abilities related to a person's overall awareness. Some individuals are keenly aware of their immediate environment and can maintain their focus more easily than others. As a result, they notice and avoid potential hazards and dangers. This factor also includes memory and recall ability. As such, people high on awareness often are described as having a "photographic" memory and usually possess a high attention to detail. Together, these abilities form an overall factor that influences their ability to remain vigilant over time, to notice potential hazards, and to remember vital information that can help them sense and avoid risks. 3. Follows rules: The third factor in the model deals with the likelihood that an individual will follow versus break rules and policies. People vary greatly when it comes to their level of respect toward rules. Rule-bound individuals naturally want to adhere to established rules, and they get a general sense of security from knowing that there is "a correct" way to do something. They also tend to be diligent and enjoy structure in their environment. In contrast, those who are lower on this factor have a desire to question rules or assumptions frequently. They often perceive rules to be mere "guide- lines" that they can choose to follow depending on the situation. As a result, they tend to be creative problem solvers who can think in innovative ways. However, this tendency to question, bend or even break the rules can lead to injury in environments that have inherent risks. 4. Exhibits caution: The final factor, exhibits caution, comprises two main psychological traits that are linked closely to at-risk behavior. The first is thrill-seeking or sensation-seeking, which determines an individual's overall comfort level with risk. Highly cautious people perceive more risk in everyday activities and are uncom- fortable taking unnecessary chances. The second trait included in this factor is impulsivity. Impulsive individuals tend to take action quickly without considering the potential conse- quences of their behavior, and they are more likely to behave in volatile and unpredictable ways. The combination of thrill-seeking and impulsivity predisposes some individuals to engage in at-risk behaviors and poor decision-making, which in many situa- tions increases their exposure to injury. Research evidence While it is one thing to identify these factors and their specific components theoretically, it is another thing altogether to measure them in a valid manner and use that information to predict safety outcomes. In 2012, researchers at Select International created a psychological assessment designed to measure all of these factors. As part of a rigorous validation process, the assessment was administered to 796 employees from three different organizations from various industries: petrochemical, paper products manufacturing and construction materials manufacturing. Employees worked in various hourly positions such as production operators, skilled crafts and warehouse personnel. Safety incident and severity data were collected on these individuals over 36 months. Based on their assessment results, employees were categorized into one of three risk groups: low, medium or high. Lower scores on the four factors resulted in a higher risk score. A total of 179 safety incidents occurred within the sample of 796 employees; 60 of those incidents resulted in an injury and 37 of those injuries were classified as an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recordable injury. Analyses were conducted to determine if there was a significant relationship between assessment scores and incidents. As highlighted in Figure 1, the results were impressive and showed a strong relationship between the risk group classification and injury frequency. Compared to those in the low risk group, individuals in the high risk group were involved in safety incidents four times as often (16 percent compared to 4 percent). Furthermore, the relationship was stronger for more serious injuries (i.e., recordable injuries). Results showed that those in the high risk group (11 percent) were more than 10 times likely to suffer a recordable injury than those in the low risk group (less than 1 percent). In fact, in this sample, nearly half (43 People vary greatly when it comes to their level of respect toward rules. RISK FACTORS CORRELATE WITH INJURIES Figure 1. Percentage of employees injured by safety risk score. Current workers with higher risk scores were more likely to be involved in safety incidents. All injuries OSHA recordable injuries IM MarApr 2014.indd 14 3/24/14 12:13 PM