Zhang, R P; Lingard, H and Nevin, S (2015) Development and validation of a multilevel safety climate measurement tool in the construction industry. Construction Management and Economics, 33(10), pp. 818-839. ISSN 01446193
Abstract
Construction organizations are large and complex with decentralized structures, and characterized by non-routine work undertaken by semi-autonomous work groups. Construction workers' perceptions of safety climate can form at different levels and vary between subunits. A multilevel safety climate measurement tool was proposed, which identified five important safety agents, i.e. client, principal contractor, supervisor, co-workers, and individual workers. Surveys were conducted at three construction projects commissioned by Fonterra Co-operative Group. A total of 356 participants completed the survey. The data was subject to scale reliability analysis and factor analysis. The results showed that all scales achieved satisfactory internal consistency and the multilevel factorial structure was generally supported. At the organizational level, the tool measures clients' overall safety priority and safety actions, and principal contractors' general commitment to safety. At the group level, the tool measures supervisors' safety actions and safety expectations, and co-workers' general safety values and practices. The tool also measures individual safety responses reflected by safety compliance and safety participation. The measurement tool would help construction organizations to diagnose potential weaknesses in their safety management practices for safety improvement and also help to develop a social and cultural work environment that is supportive of safety at all levels.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction worker; management; measurement; safety |
| Index terms: | construction industry, construction worker, supervisor, operative, factor analysis, work environment, construction organization, reliability analysis, agent, safety management, construction project, validation, commitment, principal contractor, survey, compliance, safety climate, routine |
| Subjects: | practitioner, reliability engineering, organization, data collection methods, psychology, professional development, health safety and environment, production management, management, statistical analysis, industry analysis, sociology, occupational health and safety management |
| Topics: | Information Management, Engineering Principles, Project Management, Research Practice, Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Roles and Professions, Organizational Design |
| 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