OBJECTIVES: The study determined the associations between organizational factors and safety and contingency measures among employees on the Norwegian continental shelf. METHODS: A self-administered survey among offshore petroleum personnel was conducted in the spring of 1990. The survey drew respondents from five companies and eight installations. The response rate was 92% (N = 915). RESULTS: Substantial correlations were found between management and employee commitment and involvement in safety work, social support, attitudes towards safety measures, and the personnel's satisfaction-dissatisfaction with the safety and contingency measures. CONCLUSIONS: Employee perceptions of greater management commitment, social support, and subjective evaluations of priorities of safety versus production goals were all important predictor variables for employee satisfaction with safety and contingency measures.