Safety climate is an important aspect of all organizations; it refers to the way people behave, and how they think and feel about safety issues. It is measured at a local level and refers to the way things are done in that place. Safety culture exists at a strategic level relating to overarching policies and goals of an organization. Both must be considered to understand and prevent handling injuries as there is an association between safety climate, safe practice and injury rates. The value of using risk assessment tools and handling aids to reduce the risk of injury are widely accepted. Recent studies have also highlighted the influence of supervisors on decisions related to patient handling tasks. Individual health beliefs and the shared perceptions of the priority of safety in a work area create practice norms. The purpose of this presentation is to present data from two recent mixed methods studies to highlight the influence of beliefs and safety climate on handling practice. Psycho-social aspects of the work environment will demonstrate the safety climate and the consequence of not addressing these issues.