Construction health and safety (H&S) performance improvement: a client-centred model

Health and safety (H&S) is still a problem in the construction industry. Both locally in Southern Africa and internationally, the construction industry continues to lag behind other industries in terms of H&S performance. As a result, there has been a considerable amount of research and interest on H&S performance improvement. However, there seems to be little research of note focusing on the role and contribution of construction clients to H&S performance improvement.This research project investigated and modelled H&S performance on the role and contribution of clients to H&S. The primary aim of the research was to model how improved H&S performance could be achieved if clients and/or owners were involved.Literature was reviewed on the status of H&S performance in the construction industry, the significance of the industry and on the current trends in H&S performance improvement. Empirical data was collected through a Delphi study and through a field questionnaire survey. Analysis of results from the Delphi study was done with Microsoft Excel to output descriptive statistics. These descriptive statistics informed on whether the experts had reached consensus. Analysis of results from the field questionnaire was done with EQS version 6.1 and MPlus version 6.0. Both of these are structural equation modelling software.A conceptual client centred H&S performance improvement model was based on the theory developed from literature review findings and the Delphi study. The questionnaire survey was conducted for the purpose of validating the conceptual model. The questionnaire survey was conducted in Gaborone, Botswana and Johannesburg, South Africa. Respondents were asked to report on current construction projects that they were part of as a professional. Respondents were asked to indicate their assessment of client H&S culture, contractor, designer and project H&S performance. Results from the investigation pertained to three broad areas. The first results related to theory on H&S performance and performance improvement. Findings were that H&S performance improvement was unlikely if H&S culture was not improved. Further findings were that clients could provide the needed impetus to improve H&S performance.The second set of results pertained to the Delphi study. Findings from this study were that the external environment, made up of the political, economic, social, legislative, professional bodies and technology, and had influence on client H&S culture. In addition, client H&S culture had influence on contractor, designer and project H&S performance. Further findings from literature and the Delphi study indicated that the client H&S culture could be a six factor model defined by leadership, involvement, procedures, commitment, competence and communication. These factors were collectively referred to as the LIP+3C model of client H&S culture.The third set of results pertained to a field questionnaire survey. Generally, the findings were that the hypotheses that client H&S culture had influence on contractor, designer and project H&S performance, could not be rejected. Furthermore, the hypothesis that the external environment had influence on client H&S culture could also not be rejected. Structural equation modelling results on the model’s goodness of-fit and statistical significance of parameter estimates met the cut-off criteria