Abstract

This study conducted a descriptive analysis of non-fatal physical injuries and safety climate in the Iranian ceramic industry from 2020 to 2023. The following risk factors (independent variables) were examined in this study: age, gender, work experience, work shift of workers, time of occurrence of injury, injured body part, severity of injury, and outcome of injury. Occupational injury prevalence rates as dependent variables were used to analyze the injury data. The safety climate was evaluated using the NOSACQ-50 questionnaire. Results showed a rising trend in the prevalence rate of occupational injuries from 2020 to 2023. The men in the age group of 38–43 years’ experience the most occupational injuries. The highest frequency of injuries happened in the morning shift at 10 o’clock, and workers with less than one year of experience were most affected. Fingers were the most injured part, and trauma was the most common outcome. The highest injury rates occurred in squaring, cutting, and packaging workplaces. The findings also indicated that workers generally have a poor level of safety climate (the mean safety climate score: 2.88), which highlights their excessive risk-taking behavior and lack of safety prioritization. Compared to the non-injury groups, the injured groups’ safety climate score was lower. This study suggests that the ceramics industry may be able to lower occupational injuries by improving workplace safety climate dimensions.

Introduction
This section outlines the global and national burden of occupational injuries, focusing on the Iranian ceramic industry. It emphasizes the significance of safety climate as a key factor influencing workplace injuries and explains the rationale for studying safety perceptions among injured workers. The research aims to evaluate injury trends from 2020–2023 and identify areas in safety climate that require improvement.

Materials and Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted in one ceramic factory in Yazd, Iran. Occupational injury data were collected from official records, while safety climate was assessed using the validated NOSACQ-50 questionnaire. Data were analyzed for 155 injury cases and 51 safety climate survey responses. Statistical tools (e.g., SPSS) were used for descriptive and correlation analyses.

Results and Discussion
The prevalence of occupational injuries increased from 2020 to 2023, with most injuries occurring in cutting, squaring, and packaging sections. Key risk factors included being male, aged 38–43, and having less than one year of work experience. Morning shifts and finger injuries were most common. The overall safety climate score was low (mean = 2.88), with injured workers scoring significantly lower than non-injured ones in management safety priority and empowerment dimensions. Recommendations for improving each safety dimension were provided.

Conclusions
The study concluded that the ceramic industry's safety climate is inadequate, contributing to the rising injury rates. Specific safety dimensions need targeted interventions to reduce risk-taking behaviors and injury rates. The findings offer a foundation for future safety strategies, training, and policy development in high-risk industrial settings.