Mechanisms linking occupational health and safety practices to employee well-being
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51599/is.2026.10.01.05Keywords:
occupational health and safety, employee well-being, employee awareness, job satisfaction.Abstract
Purpose. Effective management of occupational health and safety (OHS) is considered a key component in supporting a stable workforce and employees’ health and well-being. However, there remains a clear lack of empirical studies on the mechanisms by which OHS practices affects employees’ well-being, particularly in the mining industry. This study aims to examine the relationships among OHS practices, employees’ understanding of OHS, job satisfaction, and employees’ well-being, and to test the mediating effects of awareness, as well as job satisfaction.
Results. This study was conducted using the collected data from a questionnaire of 124 employees of company “A” in the Mongolian mining industry. Structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was performed using SPSS 23.0 and SmartPLS 4.1 software. The results determined that OHS practices can have a positive impact on the employee awareness (β = 0.578, p < 0.001), job satisfaction (β = 0.220, p < 0.001), and their well-being (β = 0.121, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the employee awareness (β = 0.250, p < 0.001) and job satisfaction (β = 0.667, p < 0.001) can affect their well-being positively. Mediation analysis shows that employee awareness and satisfaction have a crucial role in mediating the relationship between OHS practices and the employees’ well-being.
Scientific novelty. This study makes three key contributions. First, it offers one of the first empirical investigations into OHS practices and employee well-being in Mongolia’s mining industry, a context underrepresented in international literature. Second, by integrating Job Demands-Resources (JD-R), safety culture, and social exchange theories, it provides a theoretically grounded model of cognitive and attitudinal mediators. Third, it empirically demonstrates that employee awareness and job satisfaction serve as full mediators, accounting for over 62% and 73% of OHS practices’ total effect on well-being, respectively. These findings deepen theoretical understanding of how organisational safety investments translate into employee outcomes and offer practical insights for high-risk industry practitioners.
Practical value. This study shows that improving OHS policies, training, and management support can aid the well-being of employees by increasing their awareness and job satisfaction. The study has theoretical and practical implications for developing OHS management as a strategic tool to support the employees’ well-being and the stable growth of the organisation for mining companies.
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