Safety communications: Examining the role of leadership in safety communications

Abstract

Safety is a critical component of highly operational organizations as companies strive to ensure the health and wellness of their employees. Many organizations use metrics to measure safety, such as number of incidents, or severity of incidents. Traditionally, organizations have created safety programs and have communicated using tools such as newsletters or posters to advise employees of safe workplace practices and trends. This research examined how and to what degree leadership may impact the success of a safety culture in a highly complex operational environment. Consideration was also given to the behaviours of leadership, and the effectiveness of the leadership role in the dissemination of communications. This research will examine how and to what degree effective safety communications disseminated by leadership may impact the perception of safety among employees in the workplace and ultimately affect the safety culture.