Defining the Safety Leadership Component of Mining: A Literature Review

Mining is one of the most dangerous of all industries, and safe coal mining is highly dependent on workers' proper behavior and a safe environment, given that most coal mining accidents are caused by human factors. One way to reduce human error is to implement effective safety leadership. Safety leadership supports the management's positive view of safety; without any safety leadership, it would be difficult to achieve good safety performance. When developing safety leadership, it is essential to establish a positive safety culture that will reduce the number of workplace accidents. This article aims to explore the components of safety leadership, especially in the coal mining industry. This is a narrative literature review that identifies the components of safety leadership in the mining industry. Based on the review, the authors have identified the main components of safety leadership to be safety coaching, caring about safety, and controlling for safety. Safety coaching explains the vision and objectives of the safety program and establishes its credibility, influences safety values and explains the consequences of the work performed. Caring for safety is a process of communication, feedback and collaboration among leaders to build relationships with workers. Controlling for safety emphasizes worker accountability, worker safety, and workers' actions according to defined standards.