Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-07T20:24:40.277Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A Study of Construction Site Safety Culture and Implications for Safe and Responsive Workplaces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 February 2012

Herbert C. Biggs*
Affiliation:
Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Vaughn L. Sheahan
Affiliation:
Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Donald P. Dingsdag
Affiliation:
University of Western Sydney, Australia
*
School of Psychology and Counselling, QUT, Beams Rd, Carseldine, Qld 4034, Australia. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The high injury rate with in the Australian construction industry necessitates proactive action on the behalf of rehabilitation professionals. Safety culture is a concept that is gaining traction within this sector as a useful concept to further reduce fatalities, injuries and incidents. Ten focus groups were completed with Australia's largest constructors to investigate this concept of safety culture and to further evaluate the skills, knowledge and abilities required by people who hold influential and key roles. Data interpretation revealed three important personal characteristics that underlie a positive safety culture: safety knowledge, user/interpersonal skills and appropriate attitudes and beliefs. These findings are applied to the rehabilitation process and it is concluded that rehabilitation professionals need to contribute to the development of a positive safety culture by enhancing the workforce's understanding of injury management.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anderson, J. (1997). The problems with construction. The Safety and Health Practitioner, 05, 2930.Google Scholar
Biggs, H.C. (1999). An amendment to the rehabilitation skills inventory. Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling, 5(1), 3242.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cox, S., Tomas, J.M., Cheyne, A., & Oliver, A. (1998). Safety Culture: the prediction of commitment to safety in the manufacturing industry. British Journal of Management, 9, 311.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Glendon, A.I., & Stanton, N.A. (2000). Perspectives on safety culture. Safety Science, 34, 193214.Google Scholar
National Occupational Health and Safety Commission, (2003). Compendium of Workers' Compensation Statistics Australia, 2001– 2002. Commonwealth of Australia.Google Scholar
Smallwood, J.J. (2000). A study of the relationship between occupational health and safety, labour productivity and quality in the South African construction industry. Unpublished PhD thesis. University of Port Elizabeth, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.Google Scholar
The Business Roundtable. (1995). improving Construction Safety Performance Report A–3. NY: The Business Roundtable.Google Scholar
Williamson, A.M., Feyer, A., Cairns, D., & Biancotti, D. (1997). The development of a measure of safety climate: the role of safety perceptions and attitudes. Safety Science, 25(1–3), 1527.CrossRefGoogle Scholar