Oswald, D; Sherratt, F and Smith, S D (2017) An investigation into a health & safety rewards system on a large construction project. In: Chan, P W and Neilson, C J (eds.) Proceedings of 33rd Annual ARCOM Conference, 4-6 September 2017, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, UK.
Abstract
Unsafe behaviours are often antecedent to accidents. In an attempt to encourage safe over unsafe behaviours, construction companies have widely adopted incentive systems rewarding safe behaviours and/or low accident rates. Through an ethnographic approach, a reward program used on a large construction project was investigated. As part of a wider PhD study, the researcher visited the construction site between one and three times a week for three years, working alongside the H&S department on a large construction project, utilising participant observation as the main research tool. Data was collected through site walk-arounds, attending meetings, safety survey results, and informal discussions with employees. Safety survey results revealed that money/vouchers (43%) were the most popular reward choice for construction workers, followed by branded clothing (9%), paid leave (8%) and outings (8%), such as golf days or hotel stays. Non-financial recognition such as certificates (6%) and public recognition (4%) through posters or emails, were not as popular, suggesting workers were motivated by financially-based rewards, and in particular money or vouchers. While the reward system adopted was based on vouchers and gifts, which according to the survey should represent an effective motivator, the ethnographic insights revealed that the formation of an effective reward system was much more complex. Specific challenges arose including: a lack of nominations and inappropriate nominations; winners believed they did not deserve an award for 'just doing their job'; variations in prizes from shopping vouchers to iPads which led to feelings of inequality; and operatives were dissatisfied when supervisors received awards. The challenges revealed in this case study can be used to aid construction companies in creating an effective H&S reward program. It is recommended that companies should provide clarity to workers on the requirements, protocols, stipulations and conditions associated with H&S rewards.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | awards; ethnography; incentives; rewards; unsafe behaviour |
| Index terms: | operative, construction worker, supervisor, reward system, investigation, motivator, inequality, hotel, variation, program, construction company, survey, ethnography, construction site, unsafe behaviour, clothing, case study, large construction project, observation |
| Subjects: | construction type, data collection methods, organization, practitioner, psychology, work location, management, software systems, contractual condition, organizational theory, qualitative and interpretive research, financial risk, occupational health and safety management, sociology |
| Topics: | Ethics, Human Resources, Digital Applications, Contract Administration, Site Management, Research Practice, Project Management, Cost Management, Business Strategy, Health and Safety, Construction Technology, Roles and Professions |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here