Safety climate and stakeholders’ engagement: An exploratory analysis from the apparel industry

This research aimed to evaluate the safety climate in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector and identify the main stakeholders and their roles in enhancing the safety climate within the industry. Primary data was collected through a questionnaire survey. Factor analysis and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression were used to analyze the data. The factor analysis revealed that the safety climate in the RMG sector is dependent on three key factors: employee involvement and safety management, the safety priorities of management, including competency and fairness, and worker trust and safety communication. The OLS analysis revealed that respondents’ education levels had a negative influence on their perceptions of the overall safety climate. Surprisingly, managers perceived the safety climate more negatively than workers, suggesting that management tends to overlook or deprioritize the importance of safety issues within the organization. The stakeholder analysis highlighted that employer and worker groups are the primary stakeholders who must demonstrate greater commitment to workplace safety. The study also identified a significant lack of understanding and dedication to ensuring worker safety, which poses a critical challenge for improving the safety environment in Bangladesh’s RMG sector.