Lingard, H and Rowlinson, S (1998) Behaviour-based safety management in Hong Kong's construction industry: The results of a field study. Construction Management and Economics, 16(4), pp. 481-488. ISSN 01446193
Abstract
Hong Kong's construction industry has had a poor site safety record for over a decade. Behaviour-based methods of safety management (BSM) have proved successful in other industries and in other countries. Hence, this study aimed to test the effectiveness of BSM by applying goal-setting and feedback interventions to specific areas of safety performance on Hong Kong Housing Authority construction sites. Using a within-group experimental design and with the use of a proportional rating safety measurement instrument, data were collected on the effectiveness of BSM on Hong Kong sites. The data were recognized as time series data; this has been a serious methodological oversight in much previous research. The data were analysed using autoregressive moving averages models, and the results were mixed in that a significant improvement in safety performance occurred in the housekeeping category of intervention but no improvement was observed in the access to heights and bamboo scaffolding categories. Based on these results a goal setting/expectancy theory model of site safety improvement has been synthesized, and the lack of provision of an adequate safety infrastructure has been identified as a serious impediment to improvement.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | behaviour-based methods; feedback; goal setting; intervention; motivation; safety |
| Index terms: | motivation, construction site, scaffolding, field study, time series, housing, safety performance, safety management, experimental design, Hong Kong, bamboo, construction industry, effectiveness |
| Subjects: | traditional and composite building materials, research methods, performance management, Geography, occupational health and safety management, industry analysis, research design and methodology, construction type, operations management, work location, psychology, data science |
| Topics: | Quality Management, Human Resources, Site Management, Construction Materials, Research Practice, Geographical Context, Health and Safety, Construction Technology |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
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