Fang, D; Chen, Y and Wong, L (2006) Safety climate in construction industry: A case study in Hong Kong. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 132(6), pp. 573-584. ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Because of the characteristics of decentralization and mobility in the construction industry, safety culture is crucially important. A comprehensive safety climate questionnaire survey was conducted with all sites and employees of a leading construction company and its subcontractors in Hong Kong. In total, 4,719 records were returned from 54 sites. By means of factor analysis, a 15-factor structure that defines the dimensions of the safety climate has been extracted. Compared with previous research studies, the roles and influences of fellow workers, and safety resources on the safety climate are emphasized. The results also confirm the feasibility of exploring common factors of the safety climate in the construction industry. Through further analysis, logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between the safety climate and personal characteristics. Statistically significant relationships were found between safety climate and personal characteristics, including gender, marital status, education level, number of family members to support, safety knowledge, drinking habits, direct employer, and individual safety behavior. This research is a case study and the results are derived from the data of one company, but the methodology of this research may be useful as a model for further research, and the findings may provide useful information for construction managers and safety practitioners in the construction industry to improve their safety culture.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | case reports; climatic changes; Hong Kong; safety |
| Index terms: | survey, construction company, safety climate, habit, subcontractor, methodology, practitioner, construction manager, questionnaire, safety behaviour, Hong Kong, safety culture, logistic regression, case study, mobility, decentralization, construction industry, dimension, factor analysis |
| Subjects: | political science, statistical analysis, industry analysis, infrastructure and transport systems, occupational health and safety management, health safety and environment, Geography, research methods, health monitoring assessment and metrics, health behaviours and lifestyles, practitioner, organization, profession, data collection methods |
| Topics: | Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Roles and Professions, Governance, Urban Studies |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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