Safety Culture as a Pillar of Sustainability and Productivity in Modern Industry: A Mixed-Methods Investigation

Workplace safety remains a critical determinant of operational reliability, particularly in industrial environments characterized by complex socio-technical systems. While formal safety management systems are essential, increasing evidence suggests that safety performance is strongly influenced by organizational and human factors, including employee engagement, communication, and risk perception. This study investigates safety culture perceptions among industrial workers, focusing on differences related to age, work experience, organizational role, and site characteristics. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 315 employees across multiple industrial sites and analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results reveal statistically significant differences across demographic groups, particularly in participation in risk assessment (p=0.0007 ), perceived safety (p=0.0017 ), and risk awareness (p=0.0056). These findings highlight the need for targeted and adaptive safety strategies that address demographic and organizational diversity. Younger and less experienced workers demonstrate higher levels of active engagement, procedural compliance, and comfort in reporting safety issues, while more experienced employees exhibit lower involvement in formal safety mechanisms, reflecting a potential risk of cultural stagnation. Differences across organizational roles indicate that supervisors and technical staff are more engaged in decision-making and risk evaluation than production-line employees, suggesting that participatory mechanisms are not uniformly applied. Strengthening safety culture through inclusive and adaptive practices can contribute simultaneously to improved safety performance, organizational sustainability, and industrial productivity.

Keywords: Safety Culture, Industrial Safety, Human Factors, Sustainability, Risk Assessment, ESREL 2026.