A safer workplace : a longitudinal examination of S.A.F.E.R leadership on employee outcomes

Abstract

A longitudinal study with three waves of data collection (<em>N</em> = 304) was conducted to examine the relationship between S.A.F.E.R leadership (Wong et al. 2015) and employee health and safety outcomes. Safety climate was tested as a mediator for the relationship between S.A.F.E.R leadership and the following outcomes: occupational injuries, occupational incidents, anxiety around safety, safety participation, and safety compliance. A series of cross-lagged structural equation models revealed that S.A.F.E.R leadership predicted safety climate, anxiety around safety, and safety compliance. Safety climate was also predicted by anxiety around safety, occupational injuries, occupational incidents, and safety participation. Finally, safety climate was found to mediate the relationship between S.A.F.E.R leadership and safety participation.