Using ‘safety climate factors’ to improve construction safety

What is it about?

This paper discusses the health and safety problems in the construction industry. The focus is on safety performance improvement by using ‘safety climate factors’. Construction organisations can assess their safety climate factors by using a safety climate questionnaire and can develop plans for improved safety performance. The outcomes of assessing a safety climate can be regarded as the predictors or indicators of safety performance. This can be used by construction organisations to address the weak areas associated with safety climate.

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Why is it important?

Worldwide occupational injury rates in the construction sector are high as compared with all other major industries. Over the past century, the focus on factors influencing safety and safety improvements within industries has been changed and expanded. Nowadays, the concept of safety culture and safety climate attracts much attention across a broad range of industries and sectors. One of the reasons for this is that a rich safety culture and a mature safety climate are some of the most important factors that contribute to achieving a safe workplace. The method of assessment of safety climate factors is explained in this paper. Such assessment can help construction organisations to make plans for achieving the required level of safety climate maturity and thus achieve an improved safety performance.

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