Young worker safety behaviors: development and validation of measures

We conducted four studies to develop and validate measures of workplace safety-related behaviors relevant to young workers. The conceptual basis for this set of measures is a range of behavioral responses to deteriorating conditions (e.g., exit, voice, and loyalty, Hirschman, 1970; exit, voice, loyalty/patience, and neglect, Rusbult et al., 1982). In Study 1, items were generated by young workers (n=39) who participated in focus groups. The representativeness of these items was judged in Study 2 by a separate sample of young workers (n=79). In Study 3, we found support for five factors using exploratory factor analysis with a sample of young workers (n=266). Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted in Study 4 using a separate sample (n=282) and this supported the five-factor model. Self-report data on these participants and other-report (co-worker) data on a sub-sample (n=26) of the same participants provided additional support for the validity of the scales. Overall, these studies support the validity and reliability of this set of safety-related behaviors: intentions to quit an unsafe job (exit), speaking out about safety concerns (voice), adapting to a dangerous job hoping that safety conditions improve (patience), deliberately letting safety conditions worsen (neglect), and following safety policies (compliance). This set is useful for evaluating safety interventions aimed at young workers and studying safety-related behavior in a vulnerable work population.

Perceived organizational support for safety and employee safety voice: the mediating role of coworker support for safety

In the present study, we modeled 2 sources of safety support (perceived organizational support for safety and perceived coworker support for safety) as predictors of employee safety voice, that is, speaking out in an attempt to change unsafe working conditions. Drawing on social exchange and social impact theories, we hypothesized and tested a mediated model predicting employee safety voice using a cross-sectional survey of urban bus drivers (n = 213) in the United Kingdom. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that perceived coworker support for safety fully mediated the relationship between perceived organizational support for safety and employee safety voice. This study adds to the employee voice literature by evaluating the important role that coworkers can play in encouraging others to speak out about safety issues. Implications for research and practice related to change-oriented safety communication are discussed.

The balance of care: reconfiguring services for older people with mental health problems

The belief that most older people, including those with complex needs, can, and would prefer to be, cared for in their own homes underpins community care policy in many developed nations. There is thus a common desire to avoid the unnecessary or inappropriate placement of older people in care homes or in hospital by shifting the balance of provision. This paper demonstrates the utility of a 'balance of care' approach to address these issues in the context of commissioners' intention to reconfigure services for older people with mental health problems in a defined geographical area of the North West of England. The findings suggest that, if enhanced community services were available, a number of people currently admitted to residential or hospital beds could be more appropriately supported in their own homes at a cost that is no greater than local agencies currently incur.