Improving Workplace Safety Performance in Malaysian SMEs: The Role of Safety Compliance and Participation

ABSTRACT: In the Malaysian context, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) experience a significant burden of workplace accidents. A consensus among scholars attributes a substantial portion of these incidents to human factors, particularly unsafe behaviors. This study, conducted in Malaysia’s northern region, specifically targeted Safety and Health/Human Resource professionals within the manufacturing sector of SMEs. We gathered a robust dataset comprising 107 responses through a meticulously designed self-administered questionnaire. Employing advanced partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) techniques with SmartPLS 3.2.9, we rigorously analyzed the data to scrutinize the intricate relationship between safety behavior and safety performance. The research findings unequivocally underscore the palpable and consequential impact of safety behavior variables, namely safety compliance and safety participation, on improving safety performance indicators such as accidents, injuries, and property damages. These results strongly validate research hypotheses. Consequently, this study highlights the pivotal significance of cultivating safety behavior among employees, particularly in resource-constrained SME settings, as an essential step toward enhancing workplace safety performance.

KEYWORDS :Safety compliance, safety participation, safety performance, SME