Reducing Occupational Accident and Injury Rates Through Safety and Macroergonomic Education of Future Managers

Abstract

Prevention of large-scale accidents (often called organizational disasters) is of growing importance in today's industrial organizations. Organizational disasters where large numbers of people and wide geographic areas are affected can mean serious economic and operation disruption to an organization. The role of managers in the prevention of organizational disasters is described as critical. However, typical manager attitude towards organizational disasters is that occurrence is unlikely. This attitude causes them to neglect prevention strategies and activities. Shaping the attitudes of future managers during their university level training (e.g., in MBA programs) through a class in ergonomics and safety is described as one means to shape manager attitudes. Psychological models of attitude formation and behavior show that an attitude is stronger when there is learning about a topic. Greater knowledge and interest may later prevent organization disasters when students become managers. There would likely be an additional benefit of greater awareness of existing ergonomics and safety programs that guard against small, single worker accidents.