PSYCHOSOCIAL SAFETY CLIMATE AS PREDICTOR OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY OF FUEL STATION ATTENDANTS IN ACCRA, GHANA

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of organisational psychosocial safety climate (PSC) among Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and their fuel service stations (FSSs) in Accra, explore the paths through which PSC predicts health and safety (H&S) of the attendants and the extent to which job resources (JR) and PSC mediate the effect of job demands (JD) on H&S of the attendants. The survey involved four purposively sample OMCs (Allied Oil, Goil, Shell and Total Petroleum) and 876 conveniently sampled attendants from these companies. An instrument derived from three pre-existing ones was used for data collection. The questionnaire yielded composite reliability between 0.91 and 0.95. Tools for the data analysis included One-way ANOVA, factorial MANOVA and SEM-PLS. The results revealed a general high risk (36.08) perceived PSC, with forecourt attendants having significantly higher risk perception (M = 34.98, SD = 12.47) than lube bay (M = 37.61, SD = 13.20). Also, ANOVA indicates a significant difference H&S status among the attendants by their OMCS, F (3, 872), 6.14, p = 0.01, Shell attendants (M = 18.15, SD = 5.77) reported poorer status than those at Allied (M = 19.79, SD = 5.81), GOIL (M = 20.36, SD = 5.97), and Total (M = 20.34, SD = 5.57). Further, PSC significantly and directly and indirectly, via the path of JR, predict H&S. PSC and JR are also partial mediators of the effect of JD on H&S of the attendants. Fuel station environment is posing a serious H&S threat to the total well-being attendants. Management needs to provide a strong safety leadership in all matters concerning the H&S of the attendants. The supervisors are also encouraged to increase their support for the attendants. A longitudinal study exploring changes in H&S of the attendants as PSC, JD and JR change over time is needed.