Analysis Of The Occupational Safety Culture Among Press-An (Kempa) Station Operators At The Pabatu Palm Oil Mill, Tebing Tinggi Subdistrict, Serdang Bedagai Regency

Abstract

In the palm oil industry, occupational safety culture plays a critical role in preventing workplace accidents, particularly in the press station, which is recognized as one of the highest-risk operational areas. Preliminary observations at Pabatu Palm Oil Mill revealed several safety concerns, including inconsistent use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by operators, slippery floors caused by oil spills, and production demands that may affect workers' compliance with occupational safety procedures. This study aimed to examine the influence of safety leadership, occupational health and safety (OHS) training and competency, safety communication, workplace facilities and environment, and production pressure on the occupational safety culture of press station operators. This study employed a quantitative approach with an explanatory cross-sectional design. The study population consisted of 61 operators working at the press station, of whom 30 were selected as research participants using a purposive sampling technique. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale and analyzed using multiple linear regression. The findings indicated that occupational safety culture was positively influenced by safety leadership (B = 0.267), OHS training and competency (B = 0.231), safety communication (B = 0.208), workplace facilities and environment (B = 0.318), and production pressure (B = 0.176). Collectively, these five independent variables explained 81.7% of the variance in occupational safety culture (R² = 0.817), while the remaining 18.3% was attributable to other factors not examined in this study. Among the variables investigated, workplace facilities and environment emerged as the most influential factor. Therefore, strengthening occupational safety culture requires an integrated approach through effective safety leadership, continuous OHS training, effective safety communication, the provision of safe workplace facilities and environments, and production target management that consistently prioritizes occupational safety.