Improving safety climate through a communication and recognition program for construction: a mixed-methods study

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Scand J Work Environ Health
• Personal Author:
  Sparer, Emily H ; Catalano, Paul J ; Herrick, Robert F ; Dennerlein, Jack T
• Description:
  Objectives
  
  This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a safety communication and recognition program (B-SAFE), designed to encourage improvement of physical working conditions and hazard reduction in construction.
  
  Methods
  
  A matched pair cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted on eight worksites (four received the B-SAFE intervention, four served as control sites) for approximately five months per site. Pre- and post-exposure worker surveys were collected at all sites (N=615, pre-exposure response rate of 74%, post-exposure response rate of 88%). Multi-level mixed-effect regression models evaluated the effect of B-SAFE on safety climate as assessed from surveys. Focus groups (N=6–8 workers/site) were conducted following data collection. Transcripts were coded and analyzed for thematic content using Atlas.ti (version 6).
  
  Results
  
  The mean safety climate score at intervention sites, as measured on a 0–50 point scale, increased 0.5 points (1%) between pre- and post-B-SAFE exposure, compared to control sites that decreased 0.8 points (1.6%). The intervention effect size was 1.64 (3.28%) (P-value=0.01) when adjusted for month the worker started on-site, total length of time on-site, as well as individual characteristics (trade, title, age, and race/ethnicity). At intervention sites, workers noted increased levels of safety awareness, communication, and teamwork compared to control sites.
  
  Conclusions
  
  B-SAFE led to many positive changes, including an improvement in safety climate, awareness, teambuilding, and communication. B-SAFE was a simple intervention that engaged workers through effective communication infrastructures and had a significant, positive effect on worksite safety.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Adult Article B-SAFE Communication Construction Construction Industry Construction Worker Female Hazard Control Health And Safety Humans Male Mixed-method Study Mixed Method Recognition Reward Safety Safety Climate Safety Incentive Program Safety Intervention Safety Management Workplace

  More +
• Source:
  Scand J Work Environ Health. 42(4):329-337
• Pubmed ID:
  27158914
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC4948113
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  U60OH009762/ACL HHS/United States ; U54 OH008307-04/OH/NIOSH CDC HHS/United States ; R25 CA057711/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; T32 AR055885/AR/NIAMS NIH HHS/United States ; T42OH008416/ACL HHS/United States
• Volume:
  42
• Issue:
  4
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:a872939298f088247617e8e805b2706b1a6e9267b75114382793fb22027a3967
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/42136/cdc_42136_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 189.69 KB ]