Effective Supervisory Safety Leadership Behaviours in the Offshore Oil Industry

The first line supervisor has been identified as having a critical role in the management of safety. This paper presents the results of a study that investigated the attitudes, behaviours and skills that influences of their subordinates level of safety. The majority of supervisors indicated that they had positive safety management attitudes and that they displayed high levels of positive safety leadership behaviour. Analysis revealed that a number of the supervisor behaviours had a significant impact on subordinate safety behaviour. The aspects of supervisor behaviour that appeared to impact on subordinate safety included, valuing subordinates, visiting the worksite frequently, work group participation in decision making and effective safety communication. The study confirmed the importance of the first line supervisor in the management of safety. The findings highlight the importance of the interpersonal relationship between supervisors and their subordinates. It was concluded that interpersonal and work group dynamics have a significant impact on safety performance.