Management Commitment to Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Laws and Regulations in Polish Rock Mining Companies

Abstract

Compliance with occupational safety and health (OSH) standards and safe employee behaviour largely depend on the level of management’s commitment to respecting occupational safety and health laws and regulations. A safe work environment is one that is consistent with the idea of sustainability and supports the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including in particular: SDG3 Good health and well-being, SDG8 Decent work and economic growth. and SDG16 Peace and justice. The purpose of this article is to provide an employee assessment of mine leaders commitment to creating safe working conditions as one element in shaping an OSH culture. The analysis is based on the results of a survey conducted in 21 rock quarries in Poland, which collected 444 questionnaires completed by employees at various organizational levels—from workers, managers, administrative and engineering employees. The questionnaire included basic socio-demographic characteristics and statements concerning the level of involvement of mine management in workers compliance with safety and health rules and regulations. The results of the survey indicate that in the analysed rock mines, the leaders fulfil their duties in accordance with OSH rules and regulations and organise the work of all employees at a high level of safety. Despite this, many survey participants do not see managers responding to unsafe behaviour by employees. Respondents indicate that the existence of OSH regulations and their enforcement by leaders is necessary to maintain a high level of safety in mines. This study has helped to characterise the state of rock mining in the context of creating a safety culture and can provide important information in the search for solutions to increase safety levels in Polish rock mining making it more sustainable.

1. Introduction

The extraction and use of mineral resources is an integral part of economic development [1,2,3,4]. A particular type of mining is the surface mining of rock deposits. These raw materials are widely used in construction or ceramics. Mining activities are associated with the exposure of workers to specific risks in the working environment [5,6,7,8,9,10]. In addition, the mining sector is among the areas of the economy with the highest accident rates [6,11,12].

Compliance with occupational safety and health (OSH) rules and regulations is not only a legal issue, but also a result of organisational culture, which requires active involvement in promoting safety procedures among all employees, particularly management, and is strongly connected to the psychological and behavioural characteristics of the organisation, which includes people employed in different positions. Successful implementation of safety practices in the workplace requires, first and foremost, the support of those who have the greatest interest in reducing workplace hazards, i.e., the potential victims—the workers. This is particularly important when it comes to newly employed persons who may not share the same knowledge, attitudes, commitment and behaviours as the organisation’s existing employees due to lack of adequate training or prior experience [13]. Looking at the above statement, it can be concluded that leadership responsibility, job satisfaction, individual responsibility, management style and communication, as well as risk awareness are key aspects that can influence the attitudes of the newly hired employee. Undoubtedly, it is important for further research to find the correct correlations between these factors and the well-being of the company as well as the safety of the employees [14]. Awareness of the direct and indirect benefits of occupational safety and health has made it now one of the most important areas of research for industries and organisations. Safety performance is a crucial indicator of an organisation’s commitment and brand value and is perceived to be dependent on many predictors, such as safety culture, human factors, and employee behaviours. Environmental safety is another crucial element [15].

The establishment and cultivation of a robust safety culture within an organization is essential for compliance with OSH rules and regulations. Safety culture refers to the collective values, beliefs, and behaviours of employees regarding safety practices within the workplace. Creating a positive safety culture is influenced by both management and employee attitudes toward safety [16,17]. Differing knowledge levels, employee involvement, willingness to learn or openness to change are among the factors that influence the dynamics of creating a high work culture and, consequently, increasing the level of employee safety [18]. However, the increasing knowledge of the employees, as well as the increasing demands of employees in relation to working conditions (well-being) and technological development, are causing an increase in the interest of employees in the area of work safety and taking professional actions with concern for people’s health and lives. Moreover, the psychological safety climate created by an organization significantly impacts employees’ willingness to engage in safety behaviours. A positive safety climate enhances employee perceptions of risk and fosters behaviours that support compliance with safety regulations [19]. In contexts where employees feel psychologically safe reporting hazards or discussing safety without fear of reprimand, compliance with safety protocols tends to increase [20]. Conversely, a poor safety climate can lead to disengagement and non-compliance, ultimately resulting in unsafe working conditions. Therefore, enhancing the psychological safety climate should be considered an integral part of the strategy to promote safety compliance [21,22].

Workers’ actions are also determined by legal requirements, both at the national level based on legislation and at the company level through internal regulations. It seems that while the law defines the directions for the development of safe working conditions, internal solutions determine the effectiveness of the organisation in implementing safe working conditions. This effectiveness depends on the adopted management system, the awareness of the management and the solutions implemented to improve the knowledge and skills of workers in terms of work safety. As we can find in the work of Ismail et al. [23] skilful and high competence of mine workers are important to ensure a sustainable mine operation. The adopted safety management system is an important element that must be included in the company’s standards [24]. It contributes to improving worker management, reducing accidents and potential accident situations [25]. Managers stimulate the approach of workers to fulfil work tasks, which should guarantee their health and life protection [26]. Managers as organisational leaders determine the commitment of workers in creating safe working conditions, and their knowledge and skills in this area are a key indicator of the effectiveness of this process. If the work safety solutions implemented are of the highest standard, but there is no management interest in implementing and maintaining these standards, building employee awareness of OSH will be ineffective. Management commitment is one of the main elements in shaping work safety in a company [27].

The assessment of compliance with OSH regulations and rules is easy to verify for working conditions authorities. On the other hand, it is already much more difficult for employees to make the same assessment due to their lack of detailed knowledge of the law, their level of commitment to shaping better OSH conditions, or the relationship between employees, including the relationship between management and their subordinates. This is particularly relevant for mining facilities, which are undoubtedly one of the most dangerous areas of economic activity. This article conducts an employee assessment of management commitment to respecting occupational safety and health rules and regulations at surface rock mining operations based on survey research. These surveys provide an indication of the level of commitment of leadership (top as well as middle and low) to ensuring the safety of all employees in rock mining mines. This research can provide important information in the search for solutions to increase the level of safety in rock mining companies.

This study not only presents empirical survey results but also situates them within the broader theoretical framework of safety culture and management commitment in high-risk industries. The research is grounded in prior studies on safety climate, leadership and employee behaviour, providing an analytical rather than descriptive approach. The formulated research questions aimed to investigate whether employees perceive management’s commitment to occupational safety and health as a decisive factor in shaping workplace safety culture. This focus is particularly relevant, as strong safety culture is a foundational element of the social pillar of sustainable development.

2. Research Area and Methodology

The study was conducted at Polish surface rock mining operations representing one of the most significant types of national mining. The study area comprised 21 rock mining operations in south-west Poland (Figure 1). These mines were selected based on accessibility, size diversity and willingness to participate in the survey. While the sample represents an important part of the sector, it may reflect regional characteristics. Therefore, the results should be interpreted with caution and regional bias should be considered when generalising findings to the entire Polish mining industry. Each of the mines surveyed employs between 10 and 90 people, with a predominantly male population.

In the past five years, the surveyed mines have reported an average of 1 to 3 minor accidents annually. No fatal accidents occurred, while a total of three serious accidents were recorded during this period. No OSH errors or negligence were identified in the study.

The basis for the study was an original questionnaire. The respondents remained anonymous. The research was conducted using the PAPI (Paper and Pencil Interviewing) method. Employees of the mining plants were informed about the nature and purpose of the survey. The survey included a metric and the statements that were assessed. A five-point Likert scale was used. The preparation of the questionnaire was preceded by familiarisation with the principles of survey design (e.g., [28,29,30]). To ensure the reliability of the survey, internal consistency was tested using Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.81), which indicated acceptable reliability of the scale. To confirm the validity of the questionnaire, content validity was assessed by experts in occupational safety and mining engineering, who verified the adequacy and clarity of the items. In addition, construct validity was tested using exploratory factor analysis (KMO = 0.79; Bartlett’s test p < 0.001), which confirmed the suitability of the data and supported the validity of the applied scale. Furthermore, a pilot survey was conducted with a small group of respondents prior to the main study to refine the questionnaire and confirm the clarity of the statements. The surveys were conducted in the first quarter of 2024.

The survey was conducted in full accordance with ethical research practices. Participation was voluntary and all respondents were informed about the purpose of the study, data anonymity and the possibility to withdraw at any time. Ethical standards of social science research were strictly followed.

The surveys were aimed at collecting responses regarding management commitment to OSH activities (Table 1). Complete questionnaires, 444 in total, were used for the analyses. Due to the lack of accurate data on the number of workers employed in the rock mining sector in Poland, the minimum sample size for the infinite population was determined according to the formula [31,32]:

$$n\ge {\displaystyle \frac{1}{4}}{\left({\displaystyle \frac{u_{\frac{\propto }{2}}}{d}}\right)}^2$$

(1)

where

• n—sample size,
• u—critical value of normal distribution,
• d—statistical error,
• α = 0.05 (confidence level 0.95),
• d = 0.10 (statistical error 10%),
• $u_{{\displaystyle \frac{\propto }{2}}}$ = 1.96 (from tables).

The number of questionnaires used in the study was greater (444) than the minimum representative sample number equal to 97.

Table 1. Survey statements assessed by respondents.

Number of Statement	Survey Statement
1	Managers comply with occupational safety and health regulations.
2	In my workplace, audits are performed to control OSH levels on a regular basis.
3	Taking safe actions/safe behaviour is appreciated by leaders.
4	Taking risky actions/unsafe behaviours to achieve the norm is favoured by leaders.
5	Personal protective equipment is available and used at the workplace where I work.
6	Collective protection measures are available and used in the workplace where I work.
7	The level of OSH at my workplace is increasing.
8	If OSH regulations were no longer in existence and employees performed work at their own discretion the number of accidents at work would not change.

Table 1. Survey statements assessed by respondents.

Number of Statement	Survey Statement
1	Managers comply with occupational safety and health regulations.
2	In my workplace, audits are performed to control OSH levels on a regular basis.
3	Taking safe actions/safe behaviour is appreciated by leaders.
4	Taking risky actions/unsafe behaviours to achieve the norm is favoured by leaders.
5	Personal protective equipment is available and used at the workplace where I work.
6	Collective protection measures are available and used in the workplace where I work.
7	The level of OSH at my workplace is increasing.
8	If OSH regulations were no longer in existence and employees performed work at their own discretion the number of accidents at work would not change.

For the results obtained from the questionnaires, statistical analyses were done to determine the relationship between the indicated characteristics of the study population and the respondents’ answers. The Chi-square test of inconsistency was used to verify the independence of the two nominal (qualitative) variables from each other. The null hypotheses were that there was no influence of a given characteristic (gender, position, length of work experience) on the choice of answers and, therefore, on the perception of the issues raised in the given statements. The alternative hypotheses were the dependence of respondents’ answers on their indicated characteristics in the metric. In the survey, respondents could choose not only affirmative answers (definitely yes, yes) and negative answers (definitely no, no), but also a neutral answer (no opinion). The statistical analysis took the neutral answer into account [33].

3. Results

Safety and risk management are fundamental issues that have a significant impact on accident rates and work culture. The mining industry, as one of the most accident-prone [6,11,12], in particular, requires an ongoing commitment to developing a high level of work culture. The attitude of the leader is crucial here to ensure safe working conditions and to protect the health of all mine workers. In addition, managers at every level should emphasise the importance of worker participation in terms of consultation and participation in the identification of hazards and actions to eliminate them. In this case, training of workers is extremely important. They are crucial in raising workers’ awareness and their subsequent involvement in the process of building a safety and health culture at the workplace.

A total of 444 people participated in the survey, 85% of whom were men. Respondents are employed in worker, managerial, administrative and clerical, engineering and other positions (Figure 2).

The work experience of respondents varies, being dominated by the group with experience of 31 years or more (20% of respondents). The remaining respondents have work experience of 1 year and less—6%, 2–3 years—11%, 4–5 years—7%, 6–10 years—14%, 11–15 years—13%, 16–20 years—13% and 21–30 years—16%.

The data presented in Figure 3 are comprehensive and contain the responses of all employees (444 respondents), including management (63 respondents). Therefore, a more in-depth analysis was carried out, which showed that approximately 81% (310 respondents) of employees who were not part of the management team clearly confirmed that the management complies with health and safety regulations and rules (statement 1). Analysis of the survey data showed that managers have more favourable opinions about themselves. As many as 88% of managers chose the answer ‘yes’ or ‘definitely yes’, which accounted for 55 respondents. Positive assessments are also more prevalent among women. They account for 15% of all respondents (66 female respondents) and 9% of managers (6 female respondents).

The vast majority of people (70%, 311 respondents) declare that audits controlling OSH levels are conducted on an ongoing basis (statement 2). In addition, superiors value the safe actions of employees, which was confirmed by 63% (280 respondents) of positive responses (statement 3). About 23% of respondents had no opinion in this area. Similar results were obtained for the statement concerning supervisors’ negative perception of risky behaviour in order to perform the norm (statement 4). In this case, 56% of respondents answered ‘yes’ and ‘definitely yes’. Approximately 29% of the employees (130 respondents) marked the answer ‘I have no opinion’. The lack of opinion in such a large number of employees regarding the issue of supervisors’ perceptions of employee behaviour, both negative and positive, is alarming. This indicates that many respondents do not see any clear action by superiors in this area and their reactions to situations. However, it is satisfactory that the answer ‘no’ and ‘definitely not’ in both cases (statements 3 and 4) was marked by no more than 15% of respondents (67 respondents).

The management’s commitment to the company’s OSH culture was also confirmed in statement 5 by the provision of individual and collective protective equipment by supervisors (a legal obligation). It was noted that employees are in no doubt that personal protective equipment is available and used in their workplace (99% of affirmative responses, 440 respondents). The presence of collective protection measures in the workplace (statement 6) was confirmed by 87% of the total respondents (387 respondents). Women were more doubtful. In this group, 21% (14 respondents, women) have no opinion, while maintaining a higher proportion of affirmative answers (77%, 51 respondents, women). The lack of decisiveness may be due to the character of the work (mainly administrative and office positions) and the lack of need for collective protection measures in the workplace of these respondents. In Poland, mining companies are masculinised (nearly 90% of male employees in the Mining and Quarrying section in 2022 in Poland [34]), and women mainly occupy administrative and office positions (50 out of 67 total female employees in the companies analysed). Collective protection measures (e.g., guards for moving parts of machinery or organisation of blasting work), may not be visible to persons not working directly in the mine excavation, as opposed to individual protection (e.g., protective helmets or ear defenders).

The last two statements relate to the general perception of organising and complying with OSH regulations and rules. The first of these relates to an increase in the level of OSH in the workplace (statement 7) and here the vast majority of respondents, 70% (311 respondents), answered ‘yes’ and ‘definitely yes’. It is worrying that almost 25% (108 respondents) of respondents had no opinion. The relatively high proportion of respondents who selected the ‘I have no opinion’ option may indicate several issues, such as a lack of awareness of management actions, insufficient communication between supervisors and employees or ambiguities in questionnaire items. This result may also reflect a disengagement of some employees in OSH matters, which should be addressed through improved training and clearer managerial feedback. However, this result can be justified by the short length of experience of a significant group of respondents (inability to refer to previous levels of OSH). For statement 8 (If OSH regulations were no longer in existence and employees performed work at their own discretion the number of accidents at work would not change) a very large variation in respondents’ answers was observed. The answer “yes” and “definitely yes” was chosen by 32% of people (142 respondents), and the answer “no” and “definitely no” by 43% (191 respondents). 25% (111 respondents) of respondents had no opinion in this area. In comparison to the responses given to the other statements, the responses to this one were the most varied. This is due to the fact that employees are aware of the applicable legal regulations and requirements, as well as the necessity to comply with them. Furthermore, the higher-than-expected number of positive responses can be attributed to the growing awareness of employees regarding safety in rock mining. Similar variations in responses can also be observed by gender. However, considering the type of position, 59% of managers (37 respondents) believe that the number of accidents at work would change if the regulations were no longer in place and employees did their work at their own discretion. This may indicate reduced leadership confidence in employees’ compliance with OSH regulations and rules. In addition, it is interesting to note the differentiated responses by job seniority. Employees with less seniority (1–5 years and less) have less confidence that safety levels would be maintained at the establishment if the regulations were no longer in force (47% compared to 42% in the 6–31 years and over group). Taking respondents’ answers as a whole, respondents confirm the need for OSH regulations and their enforcement by supervisors.

The statements analysed were formulated in such a way that, as the number of ‘yes’ and ‘definitely yes’ responses increased, the overall positive assessment of ‘management’s behaviour and commitment to OSH’ increased. ‘Yes’ (48%) and ‘definitely yes’ (17%) responses, represent as much as 65%. In contrast, the proportion of employees with a negative rating identifying the behaviour and commitment of supervisors to safe working conditions is 17% (13% ‘no’, 4% ‘definitely no’). The answer ‘I have no opinion’ was chosen by 18% of respondents. It should be noted that the answer ‘I have no opinion’ may be related to employees’ caution in expressing their opinions or a lack of sufficient knowledge or awareness.

Perceptions of regulatory compliance and management commitment to a safety culture in the workplace can be influenced by a variety of factors, including those resulting from the specific characteristics of respondents, i.e., gender, position and length of experience. Thus, a statistical analysis of the results obtained was conducted to determine whether there was a correlation between the indicated characteristics of the population surveyed and the respondents’ answers. The results obtained are summarised in

Table 2. Chi-square test results of inconsistencies for the statements tested (α = 0.05).

Characteristic	Parameter	Statements
		1	2	3	4	6	7	8
gender	χ2	10.0564	0.6829	12.8313	7.7113	12.6530	0.2242	4.3971
	χ2-crit	5.9915	5.9915	5.9915	5.9915	3.8415	3.8415	5.9915
	sig	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	no	no
position type	χ2	13.4871	2.3785	5.4469	13.2792	6.6455	12.3977	16.9005
	χ2-crit	9.4877	9.4877	9.4877	9.4877	5.9915	5.9915	9.4877
	sig	yes	no	no	yes	no	yes	yes
experience length	χ2	9.0730	14.2305	10.4580	12.5678	2.2402	2.7384	13.5380
	χ2-crit	15.5073	15.5073	15.5073	15.5073	9.4877	9.4877	15.5073
	sig	no	no	no	no	no	no	no

. The statistical analysis does not present the results for statement 5, because the distribution of respondents’ answers did not meet the test condition. This could be due to the fact that, considering the specific nature of the establishment under study, personal protective equipment is an indispensable part of the work (about 99% of the respondents gave an affirmative answer).

Additional analysis by job category revealed significant differences in perceptions of management commitment. For example, engineering staff and managers generally reported higher OSH compliance, while administrative staff and clerical employees were more likely to express uncertainty. This finding highlights the importance of tailoring safety communication strategies to different occupational groups.

Statistical analysis showed that the correlation of respondents’ answers relates mainly to the gender and type of position of the respondents. To determine the relevance of the relationship between the study variables, its strength was determined. For this purpose, the C-Pearson contingency coefficient was used [35]. Its values in the surveyed cases ranged between 0.13 and 0.21 (median 0.17), which means that the strength of the relationship is low.

The results described were also compared with the responses of management staff and other mine workers (

Table 3. Responses to survey questions according to management staff and other employees (calculated as a percentage).

	Management Staff					Others Employment
	Definitely No	No	I Have No Opinion	Yes	Definitely Yes	Definitely No	No	I Have No Opinion	Yes	Definitely Yes
Statement 1	0.00	6.25	6.25	65.63	21.88	1.32	6.58	12.63	56.05	23.42
Statement 2	3.13	4.69	21.88	56.25	14.06	0.26	7.37	22.89	57.11	12.37
Statement 3	0.00	9.38	17.19	53.13	20.31	2.63	12.89	23.95	47.89	12.63
Statement 4	1.56	7.81	18.75	51.56	20.31	3.42	13.16	30.26	43.68	9.47
Statement 5	0.00	0.00	0.00	45.31	54.69	0.00	0.53	1.05	57.11	41.32
Statement 6	0.00	0.00	6.25	75.00	18.75	0.00	1.58	11.05	69.47	17.89
Statement 7	0.00	3.13	9.38	67.19	20.31	0.26	5.53	26.58	52.11	15.53
Statement 8	37.50	21.88	15.63	12.50	12.50	14.47	25.53	25.79	24.21	10.00

). As management staff constituted a much smaller group than other employees, these results are presented as percentages. Analysis of the results revealed no significant differences between the responses of the different employee groups. The differences in responses are most evident in response to the question ‘I have no opinion’. Statements 3 and 4 are also particularly noteworthy. Management staff is more convinced that they appreciate safe actions or behaviour by employees. Similarly, management staff is more convinced that it does not accept risky behaviour or actions to achieve standards. According to statement 7, managers responsible for creating safe working conditions are more convinced that safety and health standards are improving in their workplaces. These differences in responses are also confirmed in question 8. Managers have greater doubts about compliance with safety and health regulations if no rules or regulations are in place.

4. Discussion and Conclusions

Leadership in organisations shapes the working environment and communicates to employees the values respected in the workplace. Therefore, the commitment of management to respecting OSH laws and rules becomes crucial to protect the health and lives of employees. Promoting work safety and implementing safety practices in the workplace is difficult without management commitment to safety, demonstrating that safety management is an essential component of ensuring effective and efficient safety practices in organisations [36,37]. Organisations with a strong commitment to safety can enjoy not only a reduction in safety incidents, but also an increase in desirable employee attitudes and behaviours [38]. In addition to this, proper safety management, including leadership commitment to creating the correct OSH attitudes, is key to reducing the rate of workplace accidents [39].

Management commitment is the most important factor contributing to the development of a safety culture in the mining industry [23]. The research tool designed was intended to identify management commitment to workers’ compliance with OSH regulations and rules at rock mining operations. The aim of this was to understand the consequences of management commitment in shaping safe working conditions in an environment with specific hazards. The present study allowed characterising the state of rock mining in the context of creating a culture of OSH.

A hazardous working environment, characterised by a constant awareness of risk, can present a particular challenge for managers, as it can influence how employees perceive the effectiveness of managerial leadership [40]. In industries with high safety risks, such as mining, management’s role is particularly crucial. The study [23] confirmed that the behavioural dimension of the management’s commitment has the greatest influence in constructing a positive safety culture in the mining industry. Supervisors and managers must demonstrate visible commitment to safety by engaging in direct discussions with employees about safety practices and adhering to safety protocols themselves [41]. This visibility reinforces employees’ perception that safety is a priority for the organization and can lead to improved safety behaviours among workers. Studies show that managerial behaviours, such as encouraging open communication and providing safety training, affect employees’ psychological responses, which, in turn, influence compliance behaviour [42,43]. When management embodies safety principles, it sets a standard for employees to follow, leading to enhanced safety compliance throughout the organization [44].

During the execution of work tasks, employees are in close contact with their co-workers. Therefore, managers of companies should pay considerable attention to safety attitudes and provide support in managing them. If employees ignore safety in the workplace, it may become a habit [45]. The analysis of our results shows that leaders carry out their job duties in accordance with OSH rules and regulations and organise the work of all employees to a high level of safety. Managers’ self-assessment of their commitment to safety is more positive than that of other employees (see Table 3). This phenomenon may be related to the management’s knowledge of their efforts to shape work safety in mines, which employees do not have. In addition, knowing their efforts in performing tasks, people find it easier to appreciate their own achievements than others. Conversely, this self-assessment may be susceptible to systematic error. Future research should triangulate these results with objective indicators such as accident records, inspection reports or external audits to increase the robustness of the findings. Moreover, it is also advisable to increase and diversify the research group because there are studies indicating heterogeneity in the behavior of companies in the field of occupational health and safety [46]. The commitment to safety can be regarded as a commitment to action that reflects managers’ attitudes and their desire to support organisational safety [47] and that different attitudes can have a significant impact on commitment-related behaviours [48]. Companies should strive to reduce the gap between managers’ and employees’ perceptions of commitment, as higher levels of alignment are known to be associated with positive individual or organisational outcomes. If perceptions of managers’ commitment to safety are high and consistent with employees’ perceptions, this may indicate that managers are not only committed to safety, but also effectively demonstrate their commitment to their employees [49]. It is extremely important that managers are visibly involved in OSH for employees and take an active role in popularising it. Such activities lead to increased employee compliance. They can also significantly increase the participation of employees in raising the OSH culture and engaging in various OSH-related activities. It is important that the commitment to shaping safe working conditions is not based on management alone. The need for commitment to safety should be present from all sides (workers, managers, supervisors, trade unions), as this creates a shared responsibility for the health and lives of all employees.

Safety management in an organisation must be clearly visible to all employees. The surveys conducted indicate that many employees do not see leaders reacting to unsafe behaviour by employees. This has to relate to managers’ management skills, but also to the relationship between leaders and their subordinates. Managers need to demonstrate their commitment to creating safety through communication and action, including regular conversations, investment in workplace safety and reward programmes [50,51]. As Laurence [52] points out, achieving more effective rules and regulations is not the only answer to a safer workplace. However, a positive safety culture provides a platform on which to build increased awareness, understanding and compliance with rules and regulations. And it should be noted that this culture should not only be built at the workplace level, but should also be considered at the national level in the development of OSH regulations [53]. Building an OSH culture is a complex process, and a good measure of this is an increase in OSH levels. An increase in OSH levels can be observed in rock mining operations, as our results indicate. This tendency in medium- and small-scale mining was also noticed by Doyle [54]. This positive aspect is undoubtedly related to the increasing awareness of the employees, but also to the increasing management commitment and the increasing requirements of OSH.

The concept of safety culture and climate has been shown to combine managers’ commitment to safety and their leadership style with employees’ perceptions. It is evident that when management demonstrates a commitment to safety, it becomes a value that is embraced within the organisational structure [55]. This profound commitment has been shown to exert a substantial influence on the performance of safety measures [51,56]. Management commitment to safety has a significant impact on employee behaviour [44,57]. The conclusions were revised to ensure consistency with the presented findings. Instead of stating that a high level of safety is maintained in all mines, the revised version emphasises that the existence and enforcement of OSH regulations, combined with visible managerial commitment, are crucial for sustaining and improving safety culture in rock mining. These results are confirmed by the work of Niu and Liu [45] and Isa et al. [21], demonstrating the positive impact of leaders’ commitment to safety and, as a result, improving the safety culture in the organisation. Furthermore, our research indicates that the existence of OSH regulations and their enforcement by leaders is necessary. This is strongly related to the need to define guidelines that can significantly protect the health and lives of all employees in the organisation, the different levels of responsibility of employees and the lack of trust in working safely without safety solutions in place. Therefore, OSH procedures and practices should be implemented in a fair and equal manner to support co-worker relations and compliant safety behaviour at work [58]. Employees should be encouraged to participate in formulating these policies to foster ownership and accountability for safety practices. Evidence suggests that when employees are included in the development of safety guidelines, their adherence to these guidelines improves significantly [59]. This participatory approach not only enhances compliance but also cultivates a workplace culture that values safety as a core organizational priority rather than merely a regulatory requirement [60]. Safety policies and feedback have a positive relation with safety management in terms of management commitment to safety in the workplace [36,61].

Furthermore, it is important to consider the influence of family and social relationships on shaping employees’ attitudes towards safety in the workplace when assessing the importance of safety culture in compliance with safety and health regulations. Supportive workplace cultures that recognize and accommodate employees’ family responsibilities through flexible work arrangements enhance workers’ commitment to safety practices [62]. Workers with supportive supervisors are more likely to exhibit positive safety behaviours and compliance with safety rules. This highlights the multifaceted approach organizations must adopt, integrating management practices, training, and understanding of social dynamics to bolster a culture of safety [63].

The results of this research are consistent with studies in other high-risk sectors, such as construction, oil and gas and mining, where leadership commitment has been identified as a key determinant of safety climate [64,65,66]. These findings underline the practical importance of managerial communication and feedback systems, which are crucial for embedding safety culture in daily operations. From a policy perspective, the results also highlight the need for integrating OSH culture development into national safety strategies and training programmes for mining supervisors. In the context of this paper, the following further actions have been identified as contributing to the development of an OSH culture:

-

development of a framework of best practices in OSH leadership has the potential to provide valuable material for the creation of training programmes,

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organisation of management training is intended to enhance leadership skills in the domain of safety, thereby equipping management with the necessary competencies to effectively address safety-related challenges,

-

establishment of a forum for the exchange of knowledge and experience on safety issues and challenges among managers is a proposed initiative,

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creation of an environment that is conducive to the reporting of errors and near misses by employees without the apprehension of repercussions is of paramount importance,

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creation of a multifaceted approach that promotes employee engagement, communication and continuous learning is of paramount importance in order to embed a safety culture that can significantly enhance risk management capabilities while concomitantly boosting morale and productivity.

5. Limitations and Future Research

Despite the wide range of surveys conducted in rock mines, we acknowledge the limitations of this research and suggest further analyses to complement this work. Firstly, all data were collected from 21 rock mining sites in Poland (compared to over 7000 registered mining sites), which may have reduced the variability of responses and suggests a need for caution in the analysis of results. Future research could overcome this limitation by expanding the scope of the survey to include more mining sites.

Secondly, there are concerns about self-efficacy and responsibility when employees complete the surveys. Consultation between respondents could not be completely eliminated during the surveys. In addition, there is concern that some questionnaires were completed without thought due to limited time. In the future, it would be advisable to provide more comfort to the respondents (guarantee of sufficient time and preparation of posts to complete the survey).

Thirdly, this survey does not consider cause-and-effect relationships. Future research could have a cause-and-effect relationship between variables to provide more detailed information on the impact of management practices on safety levels.

The topic of OSH culture in rock mining is a relatively new topic that is worth developing. The present research is the beginning of analyses related to building an OSH culture in rock mining operations. Further research should take a broader look at these aspects by analysing the impact of knowledge levels and employee awareness on safety levels in rock mining, which is the aim of the authors’ further studies. In addition, more extensive and larger-scale surveys should be conducted to obtain more actual results.