ESTABLISHING AN ORGANISATIONAL SAFETY CULTURE SYSTEM IN THE MALAYSIAN MINING INDUSTRY
List of Authors
  • , AZIZAN RAMLI, AZIZAN RAMLI , HANIDA ABDUL AZIZ, MOHAMAD ALIASMAN MORSHIDI, MUHAMMAD FAIZAL ZAINAL ABIDIN, SITI NORAISHAH ISMAIL, SITI NORAISHAH ISMAIL

Keyword
  • Malaysian mining industry, mining accidents, organisational safety culture, qualitative study, thematic analysis

Abstract
  • Many industries have recognised safety culture as a mechanism to manage and reduce occupational accidents. Mutual understanding between management and employees is key to a successful organisational safety culture that prevents mining accidents. The mining industry in Malaysia has operated for almost 200 years. However, there is a lack of literature discussing the factors that contribute to organisational safety culture. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the contributing factors to establishing an organisational safety culture system in the Malaysian mining industry. This qualitative study was conducted by interviewing ten respondents with extensive experience in the Malaysian mining industry. By applying thematic analysis, ten organisational factors were identified: (1) safety policy, (2) safety rules, (3) safety education, (4) safety program, (5) safety competency, (6) safety planning, (7) safety audit, (8) safety signage, (9) a competent SHO/leader, and (10) Medical surveillance. In conclusion, safety policies, safety rules, and safety education are the three main factors needed to create an organisational safety culture in the Malaysian mining industry. This study was very helpful, especially to mine owners, mine operators, and enforcers as well as to mine employees, to improve their safety culture practices and reduce mining accidents or disasters in the future.

Reference
  • Abdullah N, Spickett, J, Rumchev, K. (2009). Managing safety: The role of safety perceptions approach to improve in organizations. International Business Education Journal, 2(1), 42-52. https:// ojs.upsi.edu.my/index.php/IBEJ/article/ download/1507/1088/
    Abdullah, M. S., Othman, Y. H., Osman, A., & Salahudin, S. N. (2016). Safety culture behaviour in Electronics Manufacturing Sector (EMS) in Malaysia: The case of f lextronics. Procedia Economics and Finance, 35, 454–461. https://doi. org/10.1016/s2212-5671(16)00056-3
    Ajith, M. M., & Ghosh, A. K. (2019). Comparison of parameters for likelihood and severities of injuries in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Safety Science, 118(October), 212–220. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.ssci.2019.04.010
    Alex Kim, R. J., Chin, Z. H., Sharlyn, P., Priscilla, B., & Josephine, S. (2019). Hospital survey on patient safety culture in Sarawak general hospital: A cross sectional study. The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 74(5), 385–388.
    Ali, D., Yusof, Y., & Adam, A. (2017). Safety culture and issue in the Malaysian manufacturing sector. MATEC Web of Conferences, 135, 00031. https://doi. org/10.1051/matecconf/201713500031
    Amirah, N. A., Asma, W. I., Muda, M. S., & Mohd Amin, W. A. A. W. (2013). Safety culture in combating occupational safety and health problems in the Malaysian manufacturing sectors. Asian Social Science, 9(3), 182191. https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v9n3p182
    Amirah, N. A., Amin, A., Muda, S., Wan Talaat, W. I. A., & Nik Mohd Rashid, N. M. N. (2017). Relationship between behavioral aspects and safety culture in the Peninsular Malaysia Manufacturing. World Applied Sciences Journal, 35(9), 1880-1884. https:// doi.org/10.5829/idosi.wasj.2017.1880.1884
    Amirah, N. A., Asma, W. I., Muda, S., Amin, A., & Nik Him, N. F. (2019). Analysis of individual factors on employees’ perception towards safety culture in the Malaysian manufacturing industry. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 292, 613–619. https://doi. org/10.2991/agc-18.2019.92
    Au Yong, H. N. (2014). Safety culture in Malaysian workplace: An analysis of occupational accidents. Health & the Environment Journal, 5(3), 32–43. https:// doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201713500031
    Chan, S. R., Hamid, N. A., & Mokhtar, K. (2019). The impact of safety climate on Malaysian seafarers’ safety performance: A pilot study. Malaysian Journal of Consumer and Family Economics, 22s1(Special Edition 1), 11–19 Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2022, June 30). Big data analytics: National occupational accident and disease statistics 2021.
    Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2022, June 30). Big data analytics: National occupational accident and disease statistics 2021. Department of Statistics Malaysia Official on Portal. Accessed 2.2.2022 from https://www.dosm. gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/ cthemeByCat&cat=492&bul_id=MkRoQ2 IyZ0JkdElIZ0JidUhpaWxydz09&menu_id =WjJGK0Z5bTk1ZElVT09yUW1tRG41 Zz09
    Düzgün, H. S., & Leveson, N. (2018). Analysis of soma mine disaster using causal analysis based on systems theory (CAST). Safety Science, 110(Part A), 37-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2018.07.028
    Eskandari, D., Jafari, M. J., Mehrabi, Y., & Pouyakian, M. (2017). Original article a qualitative study on organizational factors affecting occupational accidents. Iranian journal of public health, 46(3), 380–388. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5395534/
    Grote, G. (2018). On the importance of culture for safety: Bridging modes of operation in adaptive safety management. In Gilbert, C., Journe, B., Laroche, H., & Bieder, C. (Eds.), Safety cultures, safety models (pp. 93-103). Springer Cham. https://doi. org/10.1007/978-3-319-95129-4
    Hee, O. C. (2014). Factors contribute to safety culture in the manufacturing industry in Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 4(4), 63–69. https://doi. org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v4-i4/753
    Hughes, P., & Ferrett, E. (2016). International health and safety at work: For the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety (3rd ed.). Routledge.
    Ismail, S. N., Ramli, A., & Aziz, H. A. (2021). Influencing factors on safety culture in mining industry: A systematic literature review approach. Resources Policy, 74(December), 102250. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2021.102250
    Ismail, L. H., & Yunus, J. (2015). Assessment of patient safety culture in Malaysia Hospital Using Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) survey. Journal of Advanced Research in Social and Behavioural Sciences, 1(1), 19-31. https:// www.akademiabaru.com/doc/ARSBSV1_ N1_P19_31.pdf
    Ismail, Z., Doostdar, S., & Harun, Z. B. (2010). Factors influencing the implementation of a safety management system for construction sites. Safety Science, 50(3), 418-423.
    Jiang, W., Fu, G., Liang, C-Y., & Han, W. (2020). Study on quantitative measurement result of safety culture. Safety Science, 128(11), 104751. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. ssci.2020.104751
    Komljenovic, D., Loiselle, G., & Kumral, M. (2017). Organization: A new focus on mine safety improvement in a complex operational and business environment. International Journal of Mining Science and Technology, 27(4), 617–625. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmst.2017.05.006
    Kumar, R., Chelliah, T. D., Chelliah, M. K., & Mohd Amin, A. F. (2012). An analysis on safety work culture in Malaysian manufacturing industry. BIOINFO Business Management, 2(1), 11–15.
    Latti, P., Mittal, S., Gm, P., Gn, C., Chour, G., Patil, D. Y., Culture, S., The, A., & At, S. (2013). Safety culture among the staff at a public university in Malaysia. Journal of Odontological Research, 5(22), 7–11.
    Lööw, J., & Nygren, M. (2019). Initiatives for increased safety in the Swedish mining industry: Studying 30 years of improved accident rates. Safety Science, 117(August), 437–446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. ssci.2019.04.043
    Miao, C-L., Duan, M-M., Sun, X-X., & Wu, X-Y. (2020). Safety management efficiency of China’s coal enterprises and its influencing factors—Based on the DEATobit two-stage model. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 140, 79-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2020.04.020
    Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. (2019). Annual Report Year 2019. Malaysia Mineral and Geoscience Department (JMG). Accessed on 26.11.2021 from https://www.jmg.gov.my/hub-informasi/ laporan-jabatan/126-laporan-tahunan
    Mod Ali, N. (2008). Challenges in promoting radiation safety culture. Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 45(2008), 623626. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.200 8.10875932
    Neal, A, Griffin, M. A., & Hart, P. M. (2000). The impact of organizational climate on safety climate and individual behavior. Safety Science, 34(1- 3), 99-109. https://doi. org/10.1016/S0925-7535(00)00008-4
    Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Methods, Journal of Qualitative 16(1), 1-13. https://doi. org/10.1177/1609406917733847
    Nor Kamilah, M., Balakrishnan, P., Mohad Nazri, Z., Ahmad Rasdan, I., & Aryana, S. (2019). Determining factors on technical instructors’ safety culture using structural analysis approach. Jurnal Kejuruteraan, 2(1), 35–43.
    Ismail, S. N., Ramli, A., & Abdul Aziz, H. (2021). Research trends in mining accidents study: A systematic literature review. Safety Science, 143(November), 105438. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2021.105438
    Department of Occupational Safety and Health. (n.d.). Occupational safety and health act 1994 (ACT 514). Official Website Department of Occupational Safety and Health Ministry of Human Resources. https://www.dosh.gov.my/index.php/ legislation/acts-legislation/23-02occupational-safety-and-health-act-1994act-514/file. Accessed on 27.7.2021
    Razali, S. C., Abdul Hamid, N., & Mohktar, K. (2019). Examining safety performance at sea: Malaysian seafarers’ perspective. Journal of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, 13, 351-368. https://doi.org/10.11175/easts.13.351
    Reason, J. (2016). Managing the risks of organizational accidents (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315543543
    Robinson, R. K., & Franklin, G. M. (2014). Employment regulation in the Workplace: Basic compliance for managers (2nd ed.). ME Sharpe.
    Rohani, J. M., Shaharoun, A. M., & Haron, H. (2016). The level of safety culture Engineering and Operations Management, 1703–1710. http://ieomsociety.org/ ieom_2016/pdfs/487.pdf
    Rollenhagen, C., Westerlund, J., Lundberg, J., Hollnagel, E., (2010). The context and habits of accident investigation practices: a study of 108 Swedish investigators. Safety Science, 48, 859–867.
    Rubin, M., Giacomini, A., Allen, R., Turner, R., & Kelly, B. (2020). Identifying safety culture and safety climate variables that predict reported risk-taking among Australian coal miners: An exploratory longitudinal study. Safety Science, 123(March), 104564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2019.104564
    Saifullah, N. M., & Ismail, F. (2012). Integration of occupational safety and health during preconstruction stage in Malaysia. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 35(2012), 603-610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. sbspro.2012.02.127
    Schein, E. H. (1992). Organizational Culture and Leadership (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
    Schein, E. H. (2004). Organizational culture and leadership (3rd ed.). JosseyBass.
    Sorensen, J. N. (2002). Safety culture: A survey of the state-of-the-art. Reliability Engineering & System Safety, 76(2), 189–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/S09518320(02)00005-4
    Noor Arzahan, I. S., Ismail, Z., & Yasin, S. M. (2021). Resilient safety culture and safety performance: Examining the effect in Malaysian paramedic training institute through Importance-Performance Map Analysis 2021080417. (IPMA). Preprint, https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202108.0417.v1
    Wang, B., & Wu, C. (2019). Safety culture development, research, and implementation beliefs and practices amongst Safety and Health Officers (SHOs) in Malaysian manufacturing. Proceedings of the 2016 International Conference on Industrial in China: An overview. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 110, 289–300. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2018.10.002
    Zhang, J., Fu, J., Hao, H., Fu, G., Nie, F., & Zhang, W. (2020). Root causes of coal mine accidents: Characteristics of safety culture deficiencies based on accident statistics. Process Safety Protection, 136, and Environmental 78–91. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.psep.2020.01.024
    Zulkifli, N. F. M., Ahmad, A., Musa, S., Sinniah, J., & Kunjukunju, A. (2021). Perception, Knowledge and attitude towards patient safety among nursing students in private college. The Malaysian Journal of Nursing (MJN), 13(1), 68-76. https://doi. org/10.31674/mjn.2021.v13i01.010