OPTIMISING SAFETY: INVESTIGATING THE NEXUS OF SAFETY MANAGEMENT, SAFETY CLIMATE AND SAFETY PERFORMANCE IN MALAYSIAN LOGISTICS COMPANIES

Safety Management can be defined as the imperative of safety operations within the dynamic landscape of the logistics sector. It underscores the focal point of addressing workplace safety issues, highlighting a deficiency in comprehension of safety practices as a root cause for safety performance challenges. Remarkably, logistic companies exhibit a visible deficiency in the adoption of vigorous safety management practices, while worker perceptions suggest suboptimal efficacy of the safety climate. Methodologically, a quantitative research approach is used, utilizing a survey distributed via email and Google Forms, with 107 respondents comprising operators and truck drivers from various logistics companies in Malaysia. Analysis is conducted utilizing IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29, with reliability, validity, and normality analyses used to scrutinize the relationship between variables. Regression analysis reveals a statistically significant association between safety performance, safety management practices, and safety climate at a significance level of 0.001. The study portrays a positive correlation between an affirmative safety climate and enhanced safety performance within Malaysian logistic companies. It emphasizes the cultivation of a safety-conscious organizational culture as vital, fostering a proactive stance that mitigates accidents and enhances overall safety outcomes. Strategic interventions aimed at strengthening the safety climate emerge as instrumental in extending safety excellence within Malaysia's logistics operations.