Development and test of a model linking safety-specific transformational leadership and occupational safety

The authors developed, tested, and replicated a model in which safety-specific transformational leader-ship predicted occupational injuries in 2 separate studies. Data from 174 restaurant workers (M age 26.75 years, range 15–64) were analyzed using structural equation modeling (LISREL 8; K. G. Jöreskog & D. Sörbom, 1993) and provided strong support for a model whereby safety-specific transformational leadership predicted occupational injuries through the effects of perceived safety climate, safety consciousness, and safety-related events. Study 2 replicated and extended this model with data from 164 young workers from diverse jobs (M age 19.54 years, range 14–24). Safety-specific transformational leadership and role overload were related to occupational injuries through the effects of perceived safety climate, safety consciousness, and safety-related events. The vast majority of workers in developed countries take for granted that going to work on a daily basis is an activity that does not compromise their physical safety. The data, however, may tell a different story. For example, although there has been a decline in the annual number of occupational fatalities in the United States, there are still more than 6,000 fatal work injuries per year, wit