This study looks at how empowering leadership (EL) can improve safety performance and shape safety culture in the high-risk oil and gas industry. The study examines how EL affects safety culture and performance using social learning theory (SLT) and social exchange theory (SET), proposing organizational commitment as the mediator. Data from 203 employees support the hypotheses, demonstrating that EL positively impacts safety culture, and subsequently, safety performance. The findings validate that organizational commitment mediates EL's impact on safety culture, while safety culture positively influences safety performance. Unique to the Indian context, this study emphasizes EL's critical role in fostering a safety-oriented culture amidst industry-specific safety challenges. These findings provide important insights for management practices in high-risk industries and highlight the need for enabling leadership strategies to improve safety performance. The theoretical ramifications, useful suggestions, and directions for further study are covered in the paper's conclusion