An integrated health and safety compliance model for the Ghanaian construction industry

This research project investigated and modeled Health and Safety (H&S) compliance. The primary aim of the research was to model the extent to which safe environment features, safe acts of workers’ features, safe working conditions, reaction of workers to safe condition, government support and contractors’ organisational culture predict the H&S compliance, these factors being classified as the exogenous variables. Empirical data was collected through a Delphi study and a field questionnaire survey. Analysis of results from the Delphi study was done with Microsoft Excel to output descriptive statistics. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) software with EQS version 6.2 was used in the analysis of the field questionnaire. A conceptual small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) contractors’ integrated H&S compliance model was based on the theory developed from literature review findings and the Delphi study. A questionnaire survey was conducted in the major cities (Accra-Tema, Kumasi and Takoradi) in Ghana. From the 700 sample questionnaires, 558 questionnaires were returned which represents 79.2 percent. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on the six-factor constructs and further confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with Eqations (EQS) version 6.2 software programme.Findings from the literature on H&S studies revealed the theory that H&S practices and the latent variables lead to H&S compliance. While findings from the Delphi study revealed that several factors (safe environmental features, safe acts of workers’ features, safe working conditions’ features, government support features and contractors’ organisational culture features) were considered to be the most important determinants of H&S compliance among SME contractors’ in the Ghanaian construction industry. Both findings revealed that H&S compliance could be considered as a six-factor model defined by the influence of H&S practices among SME contractors. Findings from the field questionnaire survey revealed that the hypothesis on H&S compliance had an influence on H&S practices and could not be rejected. Hence, it was found that the SEM results on the model’s goodness-of-fit and statistical significance of parameter estimates met the cut-off criteria for the hypothesised model’s fit to the sample data.The study’s contribution to the body of knowledge is significant because it addresses the lack of theoretical information (historical literature data) about which factors are most significant in predicting H&S compliance among SME contractors’. Also, the study developed a new holistically-integrated H&S compliance model for the prediction of SME contractors’ H&S compliance. The current integrated model advances that H&S compliance is a five-factor construct. Previous studies have tried to model compliance using other variables without the inclusion of several important variables. This study has thus shown that there is more than one factor that influences H&S compliance. Another noteworthy contribution to the body of knowledge is in the methodology adopted.Hence, this study offers a base for other researchers to use as a follow-up for future studies. Therefore, the study recommends that government institutions and policy makers should consider the empirically tested constructs as they plan for and implement H&S compliance programmes to enhance the quality of H&S practices among SME contractors. The results of this study should constitute a reference of guidance in the Ghanaian contractors’ H&S policies. Stakeholders and institutions, who are involved in the planning process, should consider the contemporary factors that reveal SME contractors’ preferences about H&S compliance as part of the planning input. The current research makes a significant contribution towards understanding H&S practices and should be seen as a critical area for improvement in H&S compliance. Moreover, variables that define H&S compliance should be made known to all key stakeholders during planning, organizing, monitoring and control.