a b s t r a c tThis article examines the relationship between safety climate, risk perception and involvement in safety management by first-line managers (FLM). Sixty-three FLMs from two French nuclear plants answered a questionnaire measuring perceived workplace safety climate, perceived risk, and involvement in safety management. We hypothesized that a positive perception of safety climate would promote substantial involvement in safety management, and that this effect would be stronger than the perceived-risk effect. We also expected that safety climate dimensions would have a different impact on involvement in safety management. Especially, we expected climate dimensions dealing with safety-related exchanges between managers and their supervisees to be more related to FLMs' involvement in safety management. As expected, perceived risk, as well as safety climate, was related to FLMs' involvement in safety management: the more they perceived risks as probable and serious for their supervisees, the more involved they got in safety management. Similarly, FLMs who perceived a good safety climate in their company reported getting more involved in safety management than did FLMs who perceived a poor safety climate. Moreover, the results showed that safety climate was the key variable because it completely mediated the effect of perceived risk on involvement in safety management. Another important result showed that immediate supervisor encouragement was more influential than senior management views on safety. Furthermore, the fact of being called upon by supervisees on safety issues prompted the FLMs to be more involved in safety management. Possible avenues for improving the involvement of FLMs in safety management are suggested.

This study clarifies the associations between accident history, perception of the riskiness of road travel and traffic safety behaviours by taking into account the number and severity of accidents experienced. A sample of 525 road users in Cameroon answered a questionnaire comprising items on perception of risk, safe behaviour and personal accident history. Participants who reported involvement in more than three accidents or involvement in a severe accident perceived road travel as less risky and also reported behaving less safely compared with those involved in fewer, or less severe accidents. The results have practical implications for the prevention of traffic accidents. Practitioner Summary: The associations between accident history, perceived risk of road travel and safe behaviour were investigated using self-report questionnaire data. Participants involved in more than three accidents, or in severe accidents, perceived road travel as less risky and also reported more unsafe behaviour compared with those involved in fewer, or less severe accidents. Campaigns targeting people with a less serious, less extensive accident history should aim to increase awareness of hazards and the potential severity of their consequences, as well as emphasising how easy it is to take the recommended preventive actions. Campaigns targeting those involved in more frequent accidents, and survivors of serious accidents, should address feelings of invulnerability and helplessness.

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Foodborne illness is an ever-growing concern in public health. Studies found that conventional training is not enough to cause employees to apply the hygiene and safety measures. The present study explores control and fatalistic beliefs as potential factors for explaining engagement in preventive actions. Two-hundred and seventeen employees of a fast-food restaurant (75 % of all staff) answered a questionnaire assessing their control beliefs, fatalistic beliefs, risk perception, and engagement in hygienic and safety behaviours. The results validated our hypotheses. Control beliefs were positively related to engagement in hygienic and safety behaviours (b = 0.43, p < 0.001). The inverse relation was observed for fatalistic beliefs (b = - 0.24, p < 0.001). The perceived effectiveness of the prescribed measures seems to be the best predictor of engagement in preventive behaviours, followed by perceived self-efficacy. To increase adherence to preventive measures, it is recommended to enhance staff's self-efficacy and perceived effectiveness of these measures.

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Taking into account beliefs and culture is essential in behaviour analysis in various areas of life and work. However, knowledge about the links between these beliefs is sparse and imprecise. This article analyses the links between fatalistic, cultural and socio-instrumental control beliefs, by a questionnaire on a sample of 515 Cameroonian partcipants including male ( N = 290) and female ( N = 225), workers from the public ( N = 208), formal private ( N = 265) and informal ( N = 40) sectors. The questionnaire consisted of the fatalism scale designed by Kouabenan (1998), the Cameroonian cultural beliefs scale by Ngueutsa et al. (2021), and the socio-instrumental control beliefs scale derived from Spector (2004). Regression analyses showed that cultural beliefs partially mediated the link between fatalistic and socio-instrumental control beliefs. The results call into question the conceptualization of fatalistic beliefs, often seen as inducers of passivity. They suggest that cultural beliefs and practices may activate a ‘non-inhibiting’ form of fatalism that would justify the use of cultural entities to exercise indirect control over events. The concept of active fatalism is discussed.

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Background: Human behavior has been worldwide reported as the main cause of road accidents. It has been mentioned that beliefs probably impress driver’s perception, and consequently, the driving behavior. Taxi drivers account for a high proportion of professional drivers. This study aimed at exploring belief-oriented safety-seeking behaviors in taxi drivers. Methods: In this phenomenological study, eleven drivers were invited from different regions of BLINDED. Using purposeful sampling, six in-depth interviews (IDIs) and one focus group discussion (FGD) were conducted. Findings: In almost all the interviews, the participants highlighted the observance of traffic regulations and concentration on driving were the causes of accidents, however, they adopted other actions to be safe while driving. In this study, three themes emerged. The first two themes (verbal and practical endeavors) were mainly related to religion. Nonetheless, beliefs that were not related to religion (mental endeavors) also emerged. Conclusion: The drivers’ belief-oriented safety precautions are rooted in primary and socio-instrumental control beliefs. In point of view of road traffic safety, investments to change these beliefs does not seem to be necessary.