The four criteria of safety leadership

摘要

Frequently, safety leadership research focuses on the behaviours and attitudes of managers and supervisors working directly with employees in the field. Yet, consider the Pike River Mine tragedy in 2010, where the subsequent Royal Commission highlighted the role of the board in not providing effective safety leadership and instead being distracted by financial and production pressures. My recent PhD research at Queensland University of Technology, 'A study of safety leadership and safety governance for board members and senior executives', has identified four criteria of safety leadership specifically applicable to this group of senior leaders. Also, safety governance has been defined to clarify the vital role that these leaders play in safety leadership.