Assessment of Risk Perception and Safety Behavior among Firefighters of Operational Units in Tehran

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of risk perception and assessment of the rate and factors of unsafe behavior among firefighters operating in Tehran. The effect of education, awareness, personality capability, coordination in team work, environmental factors, neurological stresses, and systems motivational on the firefighters’ risk perception and the rate of unsafe behavior in operational units were investigated. The data was collected using interview and an author’s made risk perception questionnaire. The validity and reliability of questionnaire were investigated in this study and then used for data collection. The sample randomized allocation method was used to analyze among 510 operational personnel including district directors and deputies, station heads, commanders, caretakers and firefighters. The results of this study showed that education, awareness, personality capability, coordination in teamwork and the motivational systems of firefighters operating units influence risk perception and the rate of unsafe behavior. The results demonstrated that risk perception was played an important role on the rate of unsafe behavior among firefighters. Moreover, the results showed that some important organizational and individual characteristics which should be considered for high risk process and operations uninfluenced by risk perception.