The Perceptions of Line and Senior Managers in Relation to Occupational Health Issues

Perceptions of line and senior managers in relation to their role in managing workplace injury and illness were investigated with a large UK manufacturing company. The significance of this research to occupational health practitioners lies in the fact that increased understanding of the perceptions of senior and line managers is fundamental to the success of occupational safety and health programmes. Documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews were used to assess perceptions. The findings showed that the managers had a much sounder understanding of their role in injury prevention than that related to illness prevention. The way in which information relating to injury and illness data is presented to managers to aid decision making was found likely to be a fruitful area for further research.