فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

Background and Objectives: Health, Safety, and Environment Culture (HSEC) shapes employees’ awareness, attitudes, and behaviors toward occupational risks. Occupational Health and Safety Literacy (OHSL) is a key determinant of accident prevention, well-being, and regulatory compliance. Understanding the HSEC–OHSL relationship is essential for organizational performance and worker safety. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) offers tools to investigate such relationships; however, researchers face the choice between covariance-based SEM (CB-SEM) and partial least squares SEM (PLS-SEM). By contrasting these approaches, this study contributes to the theoretical understanding of safety culture and literacy and informs methodological decisions in occupational health research.Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of personnel at Shahid Hasheminejad Gas Refining Company (Khangiran) (n = 410) using cluster sampling. Instruments included demographic checklists and validated HSEC and OHSL questionnaires. Data were analyzed with PLS-SEM (SmartPLS) and CB-SEM (AMOS) to compare approaches in estimating relationships and underlying factor structures. Model fit, factor loadings, (R2), and predictive relevance were evaluated.Results:  Mean scores were 78.66 ± 20.73 for HSEC and 74.67 ± 12.94 for OHSL (0–100 scale). Both SEM approaches showed a significant positive association: (rPLS=0.68) and (rCB=0.70). In PLS-SEM, factor loadings were higher than in CB-SEM. Based on loadings and (R2), the most influential OHSL facet was the use of health and safety information; for HSEC, on-the-job training and human factors were prominent. In CB-SEM, the communications factor had the highest loading.Conclusion: Our findings support a positive HSEC–OHSL interrelationship, contributing to workplace safety and organizational performance. Overall, high levels of HSEC and OHSL suggest a foundation for promoting safe practices and continuous safety-management improvement. Enhancing both culture and literacy may yield synergistic effects for a safer, more productive work environment.