Occupational Safety Climate in the Swedish Equine Sector

The Swedish equine sector is considered a high-risk work environment, with relatively high injury rates and high severity of injuries. General safety research has identified a correlation between the safety performance and safety culture, but little is known about the intricacies of the safety cultu...

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Main Authors: Cecilia Lindahl, Åsa Bergman Bruhn, Ing-Marie Andersson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-02-01
Series:Animals
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/4/438
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author Cecilia Lindahl
Åsa Bergman Bruhn
Ing-Marie Andersson
author_facet Cecilia Lindahl
Åsa Bergman Bruhn
Ing-Marie Andersson
author_sort Cecilia Lindahl
collection DOAJ
description The Swedish equine sector is considered a high-risk work environment, with relatively high injury rates and high severity of injuries. General safety research has identified a correlation between the safety performance and safety culture, but little is known about the intricacies of the safety culture in the Swedish equine sector, especially concerning managers’ and employees’ perceptions of their work environment. The safety climate assessment is recognised as an effective tool for identifying potential problems in the workplace, thus enhancing safety behaviour and decreasing the frequency and severity of injuries. The aim was to evaluate the safety climate at riding schools and trotting stables through the Nordic Safety Climate Questionnaire (NOSACQ-50) diagnostic tool, and to get a better understanding of the workers’ perceptions regarding safety and safety management at their workplace through complementary interviews. The results showed that the safety climate was generally positive and that employees were aware of the risks relating to their work. Riding schools commonly had routines in place for risk assessment and work environment management, but such routines were often lacking at trotting stables, indicating inadequate prioritisation of safety by the management. The main area that should be targeted to improve safety in the sector is employees’ prioritisation and non-acceptance of risks. Proactive instead of reactive safety management should be promoted, where safety is an integral part of daily work and all employees are encouraged to identify factors contributing to occupational injuries and develop strategies for injury prevention.
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spelling doaj.art-b4364d43715844ed8dc3bb9c52f152762023-11-23T18:25:08ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152022-02-0112443810.3390/ani12040438Occupational Safety Climate in the Swedish Equine SectorCecilia Lindahl0Åsa Bergman Bruhn1Ing-Marie Andersson2Department of Agriculture and Food, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, P.O. Box 7033, SE-75007 Uppsala, SwedenWork Sciences, Dalarna University, SE-79188 Falun, SwedenWork Sciences, Dalarna University, SE-79188 Falun, SwedenThe Swedish equine sector is considered a high-risk work environment, with relatively high injury rates and high severity of injuries. General safety research has identified a correlation between the safety performance and safety culture, but little is known about the intricacies of the safety culture in the Swedish equine sector, especially concerning managers’ and employees’ perceptions of their work environment. The safety climate assessment is recognised as an effective tool for identifying potential problems in the workplace, thus enhancing safety behaviour and decreasing the frequency and severity of injuries. The aim was to evaluate the safety climate at riding schools and trotting stables through the Nordic Safety Climate Questionnaire (NOSACQ-50) diagnostic tool, and to get a better understanding of the workers’ perceptions regarding safety and safety management at their workplace through complementary interviews. The results showed that the safety climate was generally positive and that employees were aware of the risks relating to their work. Riding schools commonly had routines in place for risk assessment and work environment management, but such routines were often lacking at trotting stables, indicating inadequate prioritisation of safety by the management. The main area that should be targeted to improve safety in the sector is employees’ prioritisation and non-acceptance of risks. Proactive instead of reactive safety management should be promoted, where safety is an integral part of daily work and all employees are encouraged to identify factors contributing to occupational injuries and develop strategies for injury prevention.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/4/438equestrian sporthorse industryNOSACQ-50riding schoolsafety climate assessmentsafety culture
spellingShingle Cecilia Lindahl
Åsa Bergman Bruhn
Ing-Marie Andersson
Occupational Safety Climate in the Swedish Equine Sector
Animals
equestrian sport
horse industry
NOSACQ-50
riding school
safety climate assessment
safety culture
title Occupational Safety Climate in the Swedish Equine Sector
title_full Occupational Safety Climate in the Swedish Equine Sector
title_fullStr Occupational Safety Climate in the Swedish Equine Sector
title_full_unstemmed Occupational Safety Climate in the Swedish Equine Sector
title_short Occupational Safety Climate in the Swedish Equine Sector
title_sort occupational safety climate in the swedish equine sector
topic equestrian sport
horse industry
NOSACQ-50
riding school
safety climate assessment
safety culture
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/4/438
work_keys_str_mv AT cecilialindahl occupationalsafetyclimateintheswedishequinesector
AT asabergmanbruhn occupationalsafetyclimateintheswedishequinesector
AT ingmarieandersson occupationalsafetyclimateintheswedishequinesector