Predicting health outcomes and safety behaviour in taxi drivers

Abstract

Workplace hazards have been a major cause of concern in the taxi industry and management has been actively involved in trying to reduce the hazards faced by taxi drivers. However, it appears that there has not been sufficient emphasis placed on the physical health and emotional well-being of drivers. This research project integrates the various factors that influence the safety behaviour, physical health and emotional well-being of taxi drivers into a theoretical model that shows hazards, aversion to risk-taking, aggression, and drivers' perceptions of management's commitment to health and safety as directly influencing physical symptoms, emotional well-being, and unsafe behaviour of taxi drivers. Multiple regression analyses indicated that the amount of hazards taxi drivers encountered did contribute to the prediction of their physical health and emotional well-being but not to unsafe behaviour. Hazards, displaying aggression, and perceptions of management's commitment to health and safety were all significant predictors of the amount of drivers' emotional wellbeing, while aversion to risk-taking, aggression, and perceptions of management's commitment to health and safety were significant predictors of drivers' unsafe behaviour. It is recommended that the taxi industry takes an integrative approach to ensuring taxi driver health and safety that incorporates prevention of hazardous situations, developing and communicating a positive climate for safety among taxi drivers, screening of potential drivers, and health and safety training for drivers.