The role of workplace safety and personal contribution in sustaining work ability: A pilot study among Italian preschool teachers

Background: The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way teachers, particularly at the preschool level, must manage their work to maintain health and safety. Yet, there is a lack of studies that have examined the role of organizational safety procedures on the well-being of teachers who returned to work during the pandemic crisis. The present study aimed to analyze workplace safety's role in affecting preschool teachers' work ability. Methods: A longitudinal study design was utilized. The study was conducted on preschool teachers employed in the public Educational Services of a medium-sized city in Piedmont (a region in North- West Italy). The study included individuals from the preschool teacher population (n=108). Data was gathered through self-report questionnaires at two time points during the second wave of the pandemic. Results: Based on Structural Equation Modeling (χ2(df = 32) = 47.021, p < .01, χ2/df =1.46, CFI = .98, TLI=.97, RMSEA = .06 (90% CI: .02, .10), SRMR = .05), all hypotheses were confirmed, highlighting that the relationship between workplace safety and work ability was positive and fully mediated by preschool teachers' personal contribution to safety (indirect effect CI 95%: 0.037- 1.094). Discussion and Conclusion: The results were discussed regarding their relevance to safety management, sustainability, and promotion of workplace well-being in light of the potential spread of the current pandemic.