A Near Miss: The Lived Experiences of Telecommunication Technicians’ Injurious Accidents and Near Misses

Authors

Bridgette M. Hester, Grand Canyon UniversityFollow
Patricia I. Fusch, Grand Canyon UniversityFollow

Abstract

Due to a dearth in the literature, this study was conducted to explore the lived experiences of telecommunication field technicians who have experienced near miss and injurious accidents. Using protection motivation theory (PMT), we sought to explore if, after an accident, a technician would alter behaviors and insights regarding safety practices while executing their job duties. Participants for this qualitative phenomenological study included six telecommunication technicians with an average of 19 years’ experience and who had experienced an injurious or near miss accident at work. Findings suggested that after experiencing such an event, technicians demonstrated PMT characteristics including a heightened perception of the severity and probability of a threatening event. Technicians also hold themselves and crew members accountable for safety, believe the industry views worker safety as inconsequential, and that companies and oversight entities should be accountable for enforcement of workplace practices. While many factors influence workplace safety, adopting and enforcing a safety climate that encourages safety practices, quality training, and employee input into the safety climate of the organization, could result in lower injurious accident or near miss accident rate, larger profit margins, and also create a culture of safety that is supported and sustained by employees.

Keywords

Health & Safety, Safety & Hazards, Accident, Mental Health, Near Miss, Band of Brothers, Brotherhood, Qualitative, Interview

Author Bio(s)

Dr. Bridgette M. Hester is contributing faculty in the College of Doctoral Studies program at Grand Canyon University where she chairs twenty-four doctoral committees. Her research interests include workplace safety, strategic safety culture, field technicians in telecommunications, and non-profit work in telecommunications in both qualitative and quantitative studies. She is also the founder and President of a non-profit called Hubble Foundation. She can be reached at bridgette.hester@my.gcu.edu or bridgette@hubblefoundation.org.

Dr. Patricia Fusch is contributing faculty in the College of Doctoral Studies program at Grand Canyon University where she teaches research courses and chairs doctoral committees. Her research focuses on leadership, manufacturing, women in business, ethnographic design, case study design, change management initiatives, focus group facilitation, and organizational development. Her publications can be found in The Qualitative Report, The International Journal of Applied Management and Technology, The International Journal of Business and Management, and in The Journal of Social Change. She can be reached at patricia.fusch@my.gcu.edu.

Publication Date

11-1-2020

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2020.4590

Recommended APA Citation

Hester, B. M., & Fusch, P. I. (2020). A Near Miss: The Lived Experiences of Telecommunication Technicians’ Injurious Accidents and Near Misses. The Qualitative Report, 25(11), 3810-3829. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2020.4590