Swedler, David IVerma, Santosh KHuang, Yueng-HsiangLombardi, DavidChang, Wen-RueyBrennan, MelayneCourtney, Theodore2015-08-032015Swedler, David I, Santosh K Verma, Yueng-Hsiang Huang, David A Lombardi, Wen-Ruey Chang, Melayne Brennan, and Theodore K Courtney. 2015. “A structural equation modelling approach examining the pathways between safety climate, behaviour performance and workplace slipping.” Occupational and Environmental Medicine 72 (7): 476-481. doi:10.1136/oemed-2014-102496. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2014-102496.1351-0711http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:17820706Objective: Safety climate has previously been associated with increasing safe workplace behaviours and decreasing occupational injuries. This study seeks to understand the structural relationship between employees’ perceptions of safety climate, performing a safety behaviour (ie, wearing slip-resistant shoes) and risk of slipping in the setting of limited-service restaurants. Methods: At baseline, we surveyed 349 employees at 30 restaurants for their perceptions of their safety training and management commitment to safety as well as demographic data. Safety performance was identified as wearing slip-resistant shoes, as measured by direct observation by the study team. We then prospectively collected participants’ hours worked and number of slips weekly for the next 12 weeks. Using a confirmatory factor analysis, we modelled safety climate as a higher order factor composed of previously identified training and management commitment factors. Results: The 349 study participants experienced 1075 slips during the 12-week follow-up. Confirmatory factor analysis supported modelling safety climate as a higher order factor composed of safety training and management commitment. In a structural equation model, safety climate indirectly affected prospective risk of slipping through safety performance, but no direct relationship between safety climate and slips was evident. Conclusions: Results suggest that safety climate can reduce workplace slips through performance of a safety behaviour as well as suggesting a potential causal mechanism through which safety climate can reduce workplace injuries. Safety climate can be modelled as a higher order factor composed of safety training and management commitment.en-USJournal Article2015-08-0310.1136/oemed-2014-102496