Safety management and safety culture in the construction industry.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Dong XS ; Katz R ; Wang X ; Dong XS ; Katz R ; Wang X
• Description:
  Background: CPWR has collaborated with Dodge Data & Analytics to conduct a biennial online Construction Safety Management Survey (CSMS) on Dodge's member contractor panel (>3,000) since 2012. This study examined safety management and safety culture in the construction industry using the CSMS data. Methods: Data from three waves (2012, 2015, and 2017) of the CSMS were analyzed. Safety management was assessed by specific organizational and project safety practices, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), Prevention through Design (PtD), and safety and health training. Safety culture was measured by eight indicators, including owner/ client involvement, leadership, safety communication, and employee empowerment and involvement. These measures were stratified by business type, firm size, and union status. SAS 9.4 was used to conduct the analyses. Results: The findings show broad progress in management commitment to a strong safety culture in the construction industry. Jobsite worker involvement was reported as the top practice in both the 2015 and 2017 surveys. Nearly 60% of the contractors surveyed believed that demonstrating management commitment had a high impact on workplace safety. Moreover, a high percentage of contractors consistently reported a reduction in work-related injuries and improved project quality due to their investments in safety practices. However, disparities exist among firms with different organizational characteristics. Only 38% of small firms (<10 employees) adopted safety protections in the workplace, compared to nearly 90% of large firms (500+ employees). About 82% of large firms applied all five organizational safety practices, more than eight times the proportion among small firms. Compared to larger firms, smaller firms provided safety and health training to their employees less frequently. Similarly, non-union firms and trade contractors engaged in fewer safety practices than union firms and general contractors. Discussion: Organizational factors significantly affect safety management and culture in construction. Small and non-union firms lag behind in almost every aspect of safety practices and safety culture measures. There is an urgency for smaller construction companies (which are more likely to be trade contractors and less likely to be unionized) to adopt effective safety practices to improve workplace safety and health.
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Epidemiology Hazardous Substances Health Care Facilities Workforce And Services Occupational Health Paint Preceptorship Safety Safety Management Workplace
• Keywords:
  Construction Industry Construction Workers Personal Protective Equipment PPE Prevention Through Design PTD Safety Culture Safety Measures Small Businesses Training Worker Safety

  More +
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Abstract ; Abstract
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health ; Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America ; North America
• Pages in Document:
  103-104
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20062990
• Citation:
  National Occupational Injury Research Symposium 2018, (NOIRS 2018), October 16-18, 2018, Morgantown, West Virginia. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2018 Oct; :103-104
• Contact Point Address:
  Xiuwen Sue Dong, DrPH, Data Center Director, CPWR - The Center for Construction Research & Training, 8484 Georgia Ave, Suite 1000, Silver Spring, MD 20910
• Email:
  SDong@cpwr.com
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction ; Construction
• Performing Organization:
  CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training, Silver Spring, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20090901
• Source Full Name:
  National Occupational Injury Research Symposium 2018, (NOIRS 2018), October 16-18, 2018, Morgantown, West Virginia
• End Date:
  20240831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6c4404dd2d4bd244c652606b9cf15bae6c02e3ffc1eeb73df51df13eb6b4c0f0586b01e31aea8252dfa4bc5f3f88cfb96df04c852fe23e0b738e70242158005c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/181908/cdc_181908_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 41.54 KB ]