Understanding the role of organizational resilience, workers’ well-being, and hazard perception on workplace injuries in an aluminum smelter

BackgroundOccupational injuries persist as a significant challenge in high-risk industries, such as aluminum smelting. Despite extensive safety initiatives, injury rates continue to be driven by a complex interplay of organizational and workplace-level factors. A limited understanding of how these multilevel factors hinder the design of effective preventive strategies highlights the need for a deeper investigation.ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the causal mechanisms linking organizational resilience, hazard perception, and occupational well-being to injury occurrence in aluminum smelting operations, thereby aiding in the development of targeted safety interventions.MethodsThis study employed a 1:4 case-control design, involving 600 shop floor workers (120 injured and 480 non-injured). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze interrelationships among organizational and local workplace-level factors.ResultsThe study revealed that organizational resilience exerted a direct negative influence on injury (B = -0.47, p < 0.01). The indirect effect of organizational resilience on injuries, mediated by hazard perception, was found to be negative (B = -0.19, p < 0.01). Hazard perception had a negative, moderate, and direct impact on injury (B = -0.33, p < 0.01). Moreover, occupational well-being did not significantly influence injury. Organizational resilience was identified as the crucial factor that influences both hazard perception and injury status within the workforce.ConclusionStrengthening organizational resilience through proactive safety measures and supportive policies provides a viable solution to reduce injury rates in aluminum smelting operations. These findings highlight the importance of system-level approaches in improving occupational safety outcomes.