Framework for Safety Performance in Paramedic Training Institute: Mediating Effect of Safety Competence

Abstract

Safety performance in the public service and statutory authorities can still be considered to be at a low level. Based on the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, (DOSH) Malaysia's annual report from 2017 to 2020, there was an increasing trend of reported workplace accident cases from 47 cases in2017 to 77 caseslast year. Aparamedic traininginstitute, for example, hasrecorded 17 in-house incidents in 2018 that cause absenteeism, reduce staff confidence to perform work productively, and negatively impact the workers’ quality of life. Malaysia OSHMP 2020 highlighted the demand of exercising preventive culture in every sector to inculcate a safe and healthy work culture for the well-being of workers, employers, and the country. However, implementing this action at the non-factory sector, including public service and statutory authorities during 2016-2020, in the early stages. Hence, the solution needs to be broken down into feasible elements to form a model that can produce better safety performance. This paper aims to address the development of a conceptual framework to study the dimensions of safety culture and potential link to safety performance in paramedic training institutes. In the literature, there have been fewer frameworks formed in this low-risk industry. The study used a quantitative technique, with the sample size being limited to the safety person in charge at the paramedic training institute. This research examines probable linkages between all five elements of safety culture and proposes a conceptual framework that includes the mediating influence of safety competence on safety performance. Therefore, we believed that in other low-risk industries in similar categories, more research is needed to evaluate our proposed empirical framework. Finally, this document may help senior management to understand the value of fosteringa safe culture for a healthy and safe workplace. Future studies in this field, particularly in the non-factory sector, might be guided by the suggested conceptual framework.