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This study investigated an important aspect of what organizations
can do to improve safety outcomes for their employees. Specifically, it
examined the relationship between traditional Human Resource (HR) safety
practices (selection, training, evaluations, compensation) as well as high
performance safety practices (alignment, decentralization, and legitimization)
and safety outcomes. Whether or not an overall latent safety orientation exists
was also investigated. 54 organizations (identified through business/industry
associations) were included in the study. Top-level managers (as well as
operational level managers) at each organization were asked to complete a survey
about their safety-related human resource practices. Safety outcomes were
assessed through organizational records (OSHA 300 logs), weighted according to
seriousness of the injury and averaged across five years. The findings of this
project contribute to the study of safety by identifying HR safety practices
(individual compensation, group compensation, alignment and decentralization)
that have a positive relationship with organizational safety outcomes. Further,
this study examined whether or not a latent organizational safety orientation
exists. Implications for organizations and future research are discussed.
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