**5. Discussion**

Due to the considerable human and monetary costs associated with workplace accidents, it is important to study various factors that help reduce mishaps [80]. Various factors

are examined to test the framework of this study. The results show a positive relationship between safety management and safety consciousness (Hypothesis 1) in the workplace. This study supports the findings of the earlier studies [81,82]. The employees are required to perform in a safer way that would not harm themselves and their co-workers [37]. This consciousness can be enhanced through developing a plan for work, reporting all the possible hazards, safety training, reporting all the hazards that actually occurred during the work, accepting the responsibility for any misconduct and taking measures to avoid them in the future, and teaching ourselves and our colleagues about preventing the accidents [38].

The safety standards and procedures enforced by the organization keep employees in touch with the use of safety procedures and can avoid dangerous situations [9]. Safety management can be made effective through safety policy, as a part of safety climate (Hypothesis 2). The policy helps coordinate the other HR policies to ensure employees' well-being. The written policies show the management's concern for safety and this written document reminds the employees about the safety standards to be implemented while at work. The written documents also provide the procedures to follow to avoid any possible health hazards [13]. The policies available lead to continuous improvements in the workplace and save all from the dangers. Another important component of safety management is the priority of providing training to the employees to avoid any uneven situation at the workplace. The avoidance of dangerous situations and compelling others to be safe by themselves and keep others safe becomes mandatory while working, thus boosting safety consciousness [41].

The managers who provide safety training as a part of a safety climate, as a priority to learn safety measures, provide an opportunity to make a safe competitive environment that is safety performance (Hypothesis 3). People try to learn as much as they can to avoid accidents, thus adding to their safety consciousness [41]. The organizations must communicate about the risks associated with work. Frequent communications can help in two ways. First, the employees become aware of the hazards associated with their work, and, second, if anything goes wrong it will be well-communicated in time to reduce the damage as much as possible [45]. Better safety management frequently transmits the principles and rules of action. This makes people mindful of safety. Preventive planning is another way to add timely emergency plans that can reduce the possible level of danger at the workplace. Involving employees in making preventive plans can enable people to think of their safety, thus making people conscious of their safety. In short, policies, training, communication, and preventive planning collectively motivate employees to remain conscious of their workplace safety for positive outcomes [44] (Hypothesis 4).

The results of this study found a positive impact of safety management on the safety climate. Safety training, communication, preventive planning, and policy-making are important for developing a common sense of safety in the organization [41]. A written declaration available to and signed by all workers reflects management's concern for safety. This puts compulsion on the employees to develop a safe climate. Moreover, the safety policy puts emphasis on commitment to continuous improvement. This leads to conducting periodic checks on the execution of prevention plans [81].

The continuous and periodic training of employees enables them to apply their safety knowledge, skills, and abilities in a manner that saves themselves and their co-workers [9]. This also helps to keep procedures in place and to check the achievement of the objectives set. Similarly, the instruction manuals or work procedures elaborated can help employees prevent accidents. The frequent communication for transmitting the principles and rules of action leads to collective awareness [45]. Moreover, the written circulars and meetings inform workers about risks associated with their work and how to prevent possible accidents. Similarly, the written circulars and meetings force employees to conduct systematic inspections periodically. This ensures the effective functioning of the whole system.

Organizations that focus on emergency plans by practicing responsible leadership can protect employees from harm. Effective organizations always have emergency plans in place. The prevention plans are based on an assessment of the risk and employees are empowered to know the possible degree of risk. They keep themselves aware of the risks and try their best to be alert while assuming risky tasks [43] (Hypothesis 6).

The results show a positive impact of the safety climate on safety performance, i.e., consistent with the results [52,58,59]. The improvement in the safety climate means reducing potential safety threats. The employees conduct periodic checks as a result of the frequent communication and training provided to them. This enhances the compliance levels and ensures safety in the workplace [81]. The timetables available for the safety checks support compliance. The periodic checks of the procedures and equipment to use keep track of the personal protection equipment and keep the inventory up to date. That further strengthens the safety performance. The predetermined plans enable employees to improve working conditions by following the standard operating procedures and minimizing the errors involved. The minimized errors save time and other resources from wastage [47].

The results confirm the positivity in the relationship of these two variables, such as the findings of Lee et al. [82] and Wong et al. [81]. The higher the knowledge of the safety standards, the greater the application of the safety standards can be ensured. Moreover, one who is convinced about the use of safety procedures can compel himself and others to remain safety-minded [63]. At times it becomes difficult for the employees to use the safety equipment, but the policies and rules enforce the adoption of safety measures. The employees who remain involved in the evaluation of the safety risks tend to show discomfort when they see other people acting dangerously [44].

In the safety-enforced environment, the employees are compelled to make sure that other people do the things that are safe and healthy. Participation in setting the safety objectives and improving safety practices also gives a sense of ensuring collective safety at the workplace by inculcating safety-mindedness [52]. Compliance with the safety standards encourages employees to avoid dangerous situations. Participation of employees in the risk evaluations and safety inspections, and in making suggestions about improving the safety situation at the workplace, compel them to do the safest possible things as the best strategy [38].

Results found that responsible leadership is significant when the safety consciousness and safety performance relationship is low. The leaders play important roles in shaping safety behaviors (Hypothesis 5). As per the social exchange theory, socially responsible behaviors such as safety behaviors cannot be implemented without the influence of the leaders [30]. The leader's concern to take care of the stakeholders makes a stronger bond to keep closely in touch with the employees. The employees keep in touch with the leaders and share their concerns and problems about safety. The leader guides them and involves them in decision-making and setting the safety parameters. This involvement and the knowledge of the safety practices enhance the consciousness of employees and they become capable of avoiding accidents.

The results show that responsible leadership is a moderator for the safety climate and safety performance relationship (Hypothesis 6). The social exchange theory supports the leader's involvement in shaping the safety climate. The leaders who make people learn and develop a common sense of safety in the organization help people learn and retain the knowledge. This further leads to ensuring safety performance. Based on social identity theory and social exchange theory, this study aims to investigate the mechanisms underlying the responsible leadership, safety consciousness, and safety performance relationship.

Responsibility is one of the essential components of effective leadership in the field of organizational management [83]. Due to a lack of leadership accountability in today's accident-prone climate, businesses are experiencing a crisis of low trust. Lack of trust by employees make them pay less attention to the safety instructions given by their leaders, which leads to mishaps and a loss of health and safety. As a result, executives need to act more responsibly toward employees and other stakeholders. The socially responsible leaders are more effective and have greater impact on the organizations than other leadership styles [84]. As per social identity theory, the people are inclined to categorize themselves

and others into social groups and establish a positive self-concept by identifying with groups that enhance their self-esteem.

Furthermore, individuals tend to boost their self-image by identifying with organizations recognized for their social engagement and responsibility [85], which subsequently motivates employees to strive for organizational safety objectives.

Additionally, people tend to feel better about themselves when they associate with organizations that are known for their social responsibility, such as with a safety climate [85]. This inspires employees to work toward the achievement of organizational safety objectives.

Furthermore, social exchange theory posits that individuals' voluntary actions are motivated by the returns they expect from others [25]; the responsible leaders take care of the stakeholders and in return the employees take care of the leaders and try to oblige them by following the safety standards, thus showing safety performance.
