Occupational health and safety initiatives for different ethical climates: apparel industry in Sri Lanka

• Twenty-seven causes of OHS issues are related to worker behaviour. • Principled-local climate is the most common in the Sri Lankan apparel sector. • Framework to determine H&S initiatives based on ethical climates. • Promote a stronger safety culture, reducing workplace incidents. Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) is of vital importance in the apparel industry owing to its labour-intensive nature. Improper management of OHS can negatively impact organisational growth in multiple ways. More than 80% of OHS issues stem from behaviour-related causes, and the ethical climate of an organisation affects judgements about appropriate workplace conduct. It is essential to identify the prevailing ethical climates and to develop suitable OHS initiatives to guide employee behaviour. This study aimed to establish a framework for identifying suitable OHS initiatives aligned with different ethical climates in the Sri Lankan apparel industry, with the goal of improving health and safety standards in the sector. A situational context analysis was conducted across three selected cases, utilising data collected from a questionnaire survey involving 300 respondents, interviews with OHS representatives, observations, and documentary reviews. A survey targeting 30 OHS experts in the apparel sector was conducted to identify suitable health and safety initiatives corresponding to the recognised ethical climates. The qualitative data underwent manual content analysis, whereas the quantitative data were analysed statistically using SPSS 20.0 software. The study revealed 27 factors contributing to OHS issues, predominantly linked to worker behaviour. The questionnaire survey confirmed the existence of multiple ethical climates in the Sri Lankan apparel industry, with the ’principled-local climate’ identified as the most prevalent type. A framework was developed to assist industry professionals in identifying current ethical climates within organisations, facilitating the selection of the most suitable health and safety initiatives.