The impact of implementing environmental risk management on compliance with safety and quality standards: A field study on Saudi industrial companies

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the impact of implementing environmental risk management—across its four dimensions (environmental risk identification, environmental risk assessment, environmental risk control and monitoring, and continuous improvement of environmental performance)—on the level of compliance with safety and quality standards in Saudi industrial companies. The study adopted the descriptive analytical approach and employed a questionnaire as the primary instrument for data collection. The questionnaire was distributed to a convenience random sample of employees working in the safety, quality, and environment departments of several Saudi industrial companies operating in the petrochemical, mining, cement, food, and manufacturing sectors. A total of (346) valid questionnaires were retrieved and statistically analyzed using SPSS V.26, applying both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, including simple and multiple linear regression analyses, to test the study hypotheses. The findings revealed a statistically significant impact at the (α ≤ 0.05) level of implementing environmental risk management dimensions collectively on the level of compliance with safety and quality standards, with the four dimensions jointly explaining (71.1%) of the variance in the dependent variable. Environmental risk control and monitoring emerged as the most influential dimension, followed by risk assessment, continuous improvement, and risk identification, respectively. In light of these findings, the study presented a set of recommendations, most notably enhancing digital environmental monitoring systems, integrating environmental, safety, and quality management systems within a unified managerial framework, developing quantitative risk assessment methodologies, and fostering an organizational culture supportive of sustainable environmental performance.