Relationship Between Safety Management Practices and Safety Performance in the Defence Artillery Regiment

This study investigates the relationship between safety management practices and safety performance within the Air Defence Artillery Regiment, a subject that has received limited attention in existing literature, particularly within the Malaysian
Army. The organization experiences a notable but unreported accident rate not reflected in SOCSO statistics. Enhancing occupational safety within the Army poses challenges despite the existence of adequate safety legislation, as the Malaysian Armed
Forces are not governed by OSHA 1994 (Act 514). Utilizing instruments developed by Vinodkumar and Bhasi (2010), this study investigated whether four key factors management commitment to safety, safety training, employee involvement in safety, and safety communication and feedback are related to the safety performance of Air Defence Artillery personnel. These independent variables were evaluated for their impact on safety performance among 343 military personnel at Bera Camp, Pahang. The analysis revealed a positive relationship between these four factors and safety performance. Each factor management commitment to safety, safety training, employee involvement in safety, and safety communication and feedback are significantly contributed to improving safety performance. The findings suggest that emphasizing these variables can enhance the safety culture within Army units, boost soldiers’ safety performance, and reduce injuries and accidents.