Improving safety performance in construction organizations

Umar, Tariq

Abstract

Data from a number of industrialized countries show that construction workers are 3 to 4 times more likely than other workers to die from accidents at work. In the developing world, the risks associated with construction work are 3 to 6 times greater. Construction is one of the world’s biggest industrial sectors, including the building, civil engineering, demolition and maintenance industries, and in Oman it accounts approximately 10% of the total GDP. Statistic indicates that a total of 723,000 residents including 91% foreigners were working in construction industry in 2014 and was having second larger rate of occupational injuries after manufacturing. Construction workers are exposed to a wide variety of hazards on the job, including dusts and vapours, asbestos, awkward working positions, heavy loads, adverse weather conditions, work at heights, noise, vibration from tools, and therefore more closer to occupational accidents. Although the responsibilities for safety on a construction project need to be shared by all parties (client, consultant and contractor) involves in construction however regulatory and contractual requirements place the primary responsibility for construction site safety on constructor. Safety in construction can be improved by a multi-dimensional approach includes internal and external factors. Internal factors which are heavily affected by organizations approach and priority of safety in construction organizations includes for example H& S management system and development of safety culture through training and awareness. External factors are the country H&S laws and regulations including implementation of such regulations across the construction organizations. In recent years, the awareness of the importance for safety performance of organizational, managerial and social factors, has increased. Safety climate is an aspect of organizational climate, offers a route for safety management, complementing the often-predominant engineering approach. Safety climate investigations are more sensitive (e.g., multi-faceted) and proactive bases for developing safety, rather than reactive (after the fact) information from accident rates and accident and incident reports. Based on a thorough literature review relevant safety climate dimensions including 1) management safety priority, commitment and competence; 2) management safety empowerment; and 3) management safety justice; 4) workers’ safety commitment; 5) workers’ safety priority and risk non-acceptance; 6) safety communication, learning, and trust in co-workers’ safety competence; and 7) workers’ trust in the efficacy of safety systems are identified. This paper further describes how construction organizations in Oman can improve their safety performance by using and assessing leading safety climate dimensions/ factors.

• Presentation Conference Type: Keynote
• Conference Name: National Conference on the Latest HSE Practices in Oman (NCHSE-2016)
• Start Date: Apr 14, 2016
• End Date: Apr 14, 2016
• Deposit Date: Mar 16, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 16, 2022
• Keywords: construction worker, construction organization, safety climate dimensions, safety performance,
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/9209137