Demographic differences in safety proactivity behaviors and safety management in Chinese small-scale enterprises

The study examines demographic differences in safety proactivity behaviors (i.e., safety whistleblowing, safety voice, and safety initiative) and safety procedure, safety management, and safety hazards identification. The data was collected from 503 employees in Chinese small-scale enterprises by using one-way ANOVA. The results showed that safety proactivity behaviors were significantly correlated with age groups, safety initiative with education level, and safety management with gender. Safety procedure, safety management and safety hazards identification were significantly correlated with age groups and safety hazards identification with education level. However, there were no gender-based differences in safety proactivity behaviors, safety procedures, and safety hazards identification, and none in safety whistleblowing and safety voice, safety management, and safety procedure based on the education level. There were also no differences in safety proactivity behaviors, safety procedure, safety management, and safety hazards identification based on tenure. This offers practical suggestions to owner-managers of small-scale enterprises to address the current situation and to improve the safety proactivity behaviors of employees as well as improve the safety procedure, safety management, and safety hazards identification.