Developing a competency model for safety professionals: Correlations between competency and safety functions

IntroductionPersonal competency is an important factor influencing individual performance. The objective of this study was to develop a competency model of safety professionals and investigate the factors contributing to their competency to achieve greater safety performance.MethodIn this study, 299 participants (153 safety professionals and 146 safety educators) completed self-administered questionnaires. The response rate was 75%.ResultsThe results of exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis revealed that the competency scale for safety professionals comprised five factors. Additionally, the factor “safety and health training and management” explained most of the variance in the competency. The multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) results showed that the respondents’ perception of professional competency was significantly influenced by the following factors: occupation, age, job tenure, level of education, and work status. Additionally, the Pearson product–moment correlation coefficient analysis indicated that a safety professional's perceived competencies and safety functions were positively correlated.Impact on industryThis study discusses possible reasons for the influence of the factors previously mentioned and explains how the results can contribute to the development of safety competencies and curricula.

► We model the competencies of safety professionals.
► Factor analysis and cluster analysis explore and confirm the competency model.
► The professional competency scale comprised five factors.
► Safety training and management explained most of the variance in the competency.
► The perceptions of SPs and SEs regarding safety competencies differ significantly.