Revealing the unseen: a bibliometric analysis of workplace safety

Abstract

Ensuring workplace safety is paramount for organisations operating in the health or industrial sectors, as it mitigates the risk of accidents, injuries, and illnesses that may arise during job-related activities. This study employs bibliometric methods to analyse and evaluate published literature on workplace safety, identifying major themes, authors, and publications in the field and assessing the impact and influence of research in this area. The investigation obtains datasets from Scopus and Web of Science (WoS). The ScientoPy and VOSviewer software were utilised to analyse the datasets. The findings indicate a steady rise in the literature on workplace safety since the 1970s. In 2019, a notable quantity of publications amounting to 537 across both databases was documented. The subject of “Public, Environmental & Occupational Health” has achieved the highest ranking with 1,669 publications. The top five author keywords associated with this subject are “occupational health and safety”, “health and safety”, “safety”, “occupational safety”, and “occupational health”. The term “COVID-19” has garnered significant attention recently, particularly in 2021 and 2022. The bibliometric analysis indicates that workplace safety research has been a consistent and growing topic of scholarly interest. The findings can guide future research undertakings, decision-making processes in policy formulation, and practical measures aimed at augmenting occupational safety and preserving workers’ well-being and general welfare.