Cited by 141Occupational Health and Safety ResearchPatient Safety and Medication ErrorsOccupational Health and Safety in Workplaces

Speaking up to prevent harm: A systematic review of the safety voice literature

Open access
Noort, Mark C., Reader, Tom W., Gillespie, Alex·2019·Safety Science

Abstract

Safety voice is the act of speaking up about safety in order to prevent accidents and physical harm. It occurs across contexts (e.g., healthcare, aviation, construction, mountaineering, high-risk sports) and understanding the phenomenon enables interventions. Despite recent interest, however, it remains unclear how safety voice (i) differs conceptually from employee voice, (ii) is delineated across levels of analysis, and (iii) could be optimally investigated. Addressing this, we identified 48 articles, and integrated 256 safety voice antecedents, 7 pragmatics and 23 outcomes into an ecological framework. Overlap was found with employee voice concepts and methodologies, especially for the behavioural nature of speaking-up. Nonetheless, safety voice appeared unique in terms of the content of the raised message (e.g., limited to safety), the context and person speaking-up, identified antecedents (e.g., hazard-specific antecedents), and methodological challenges (e.g., operationalisation of victimhood). Our proposed safety voice framework provides a novel approach to safety voice that is ecological and indicates interventions for mitigating physical harm.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.ssci.2019.04.039

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  • Research on factors associated with speaking up about safety concerns in organisational cultures suggests that the process is contingent on individual factors such as self-confidence and extraversion.

    “Furthermore, research on the factors associated with speaking up about safety concerns in organisational cultures suggests that the process is also contingent on a series of individual factors such as self-confidence and extraversion [24].”

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Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. Blanco, M., Clarke, J.R., Martindell, D., Denise, M., 2009. Wrong site surgery. Retrieved from. AORN J. 90 (7), 814-816.
  2. Hirschman, A.O., 1970. Exit, voice and Loyalty: Responses to Decline in Firms, Organisations, and States. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Masschusetts.
  3. Leveson, N.G., 2002. System Safety Engineering: Back To The Future. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Masschusetts.
  4. Lupton, D., 1999. Risk: key ideas. Routledge, London.
  5. Phelps, M.E., Reed, W.G., 2016. Improving hand hygiene compliance by changing safety culture in an academic medical center. Retrieved from. Canad. J. Infect. Contr. 31 (4), 241-248. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN= 120397853&site=ehost-live.
  6. Weick, K.E., 1995. The nature of sensemaking. Sensemaking Organiz. 1-62. https://doi. org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004. · DOI · Paper page

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Authors
Noort, M. C., Reader, T. W., & Gillespie, A.
Affiliations
London School of Economics and Political Science (GB)
Corresponding author
Noort, Mark C.
Venue
Safety Science
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2019-08
Volume
117
Pages
375-387
ISSN
0925-7535 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2943005096
Cited by
141
References
88
Citations by year
2026: 19 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 1 · 2014: 1
FWCI
2.92
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Safety Science (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • London School of Economics and Political Science Theses Online (London School of Economics and Political Science) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
Economics and Social Science Research CouncilEconomics and Social Science Research Council (ESRC)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Radiological and Ultrasound Technology › Occupational Health and Safety Research
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Emergency Medical Services › Patient Safety and Medication Errors
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Safety in Workplaces
Keywords
safety voice, speaking up, employee voice, victimhood, ecological model, occupational safety, high-risk work

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