Yes, they are safer, obviously it would be safer to not have anything, but e cigs are much less harmful to your health than normal cigarettes. It doesn't take years of research to figure this out. The amount of cemicals in an e cig compared to a normal cigarette is tiny, nicotine on its own isn't really any more harmful than caffiene.
Minimise the risks by investing in a good quality e cig. (my partner has found the cigarette style ones aren't great, and neither are the cheap ones, go for a brand like totally wicked) and good quality liquids (again, branded or one that lists its ingredients, simply e liquids are good)
As a singer, the physical benefits my partner has had since switching have been about equal to if they'd stopped smoking altogether