Dynamics and effects of a large-scale Safety Program - development and testing of a causality model

Within the oil and gas industry in Norway there has been an increased attention to the importance of establishing a sound safety culture. Several companies within the industry have implemented Safety Programs (SP) with the aim to improve safety culture and safety behaviour. Until now little research has been carried out in order to understand the dynamics and causality of these programs in the Norwegian context. The core aim of this study was to develop and test a causality model reflecting the structural relationship between program interventions and outcome measures. 151 qualitative interviews and fieldworks were conducted in order to get a qualitative understanding of the effect and dynamics of program interventions. Based on the qualitative data, previous research, and program characteristics a hypothesised structural model was developed and tested on questionnaire data (N = 1221) using structural equation modelling (SEM). SEM indicated that the suggested model fitted the data, but two of the hypothesised relations were not significantly supported. Results from testing of the hypothesised structure are discussed in light of the interviews conducted and earlier research.