Effects of the feeling of invulnerability and the feeling of control on motivation to participate in experience-based analysis, by type of risk

► EBA is aimed at detecting, analyzing, and learning from past accidents. ► Effect of risk perception on workers’ motivation to participate in EBA is examined. ► We analyze involvement in EBA of ordinary accidents in chemical and nuclear industries. ► Risks linked to core processes were perceived as greater than ordinary risks. ► Employees who feel invulnerable to risks were less motivated to participate to EBA. Experience-based analysis (EBA) refers to a set of safety-management practices consisting of detecting, analyzing, and correcting the individual, material, and organizational causal factors of accidents in order to prevent their reoccurrence. Unfortunately, these practices do not always garner the adherence of employees. This article presents a study that examines the impact of risk perceptions on agents’ motivation to participate in EBA in various production sectors. The study was conducted at two sites, a chemical factory and a nuclear power plant, by means of a questionnaire administered to 302 employees. The results indicated that the feeling of control was not only positively linked to the feeling of invulnerability, but that these two factors were negatively linked to risk perception. In addition, the actors in both production sectors were more motivated to participate in EBA of accidents linked to the core processes of their industry (which were more accurately perceived) than in EBA of ordinary accidents (accidents not specific to chemical or nuclear processes). Moreover, the agents’ feeling of invulnerability and feeling of control both reduced EBA motivation for ordinary accidents to a greater extent than for chemical and radiation-related accidents. Recommendations are made in view of encouraging agents to get more involved in EBA.