Investigating the Dynamic Interactions Between Safety Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviors, and Workplace Accidents Among Solid Waste Management Personnel

Ensuring workplace safety in solid waste management companies is critical due to the daily hazards' employees face.This study examines the relationships between safety knowledge, attitude, behavior, and accident occurrences among solid waste management (SWM) workers using structural equation modeling (SEM).Data were collected via selfadministered questionnaires from general employees within a SWM company in a northern state in Malaysia.The findings revealed significant positive correlations between safety attitude and behavior, showing that workers with more positive safety attitudes demonstrate safer behaviors.Additionally, safety behavior was negatively associated with accident occurrences, highlighting the crucial role of safe practices in preventing accidents.Safety knowledge positively influenced safety attitudes and behaviors, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive safety training programs.Effect size measures, R-squared values, and beta coefficients provided insights into the model's practical significance and predictive power.Indirect effects were also explored, indicating that safety knowledge indirectly impacted accident occurrences through its influence on safety behavior and attitudes.The study's limitations include its cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported data, suggesting the need for longitudinal studies and objective measures in future research.Despite these limitations, the study contributes to understanding safety dynamics within the solid waste management industry.Practical implications include developing targeted safety interventions to enhance safety knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors to foster a safety culture and reduce workplace accidents.Specifically, the finding of this study helps the solid waste management industry be more alert in responding to workplace accident prevention by focusing on the employees' safety knowledge and attitude toward enforcing better safety behavior among the employees.