Firm Size Influence on Construction Safety Culture and Construction Safety Climate
Publication: Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 26, Issue 4
Abstract
Smaller construction firms represent the majority of US construction firms. The safety record of smaller construction firms indicates a lower safety performance and higher incident rates than those found in larger construction firms. Therefore, there is a need for a greater understanding of the challenges that prevent smaller construction firms from achieving higher safety performance levels. Understanding these challenges will help construction safety practitioners and policymakers provide the necessary interventions to improve overall construction site safety. Data were collected from 275 construction practitioners in the US, resulting in scores for safety culture, climate, and behavior. The results suggest a statistically significant positive correlation between firm size and construction safety culture, which represents the safety-related actions of upper management and safety personnel. Thus, interventions that aim to develop sustainable safety and health management systems for smaller construction firms are necessary. On the other hand, the study indicates no statistically significant correlation between firm size and the construction safety climate, which represents the safety-related actions of field personnel (frontline supervisors and workers). These findings contribute to the body of knowledge by providing a meaningful understanding of the interventions needed to improve the overall safety performance of smaller construction firms.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
All data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
References
Al-Bayati, A. J. 2021. “Impact of construction safety culture and construction safety climate on safety behavior and safety motivation.” Safety 7 (2): 41. https://doi.org/10.3390/safety7020041.
Al-Bayati, A. J., O. Abudayyeh, and A. Albert. 2018. “Managing active cultural differences in US construction workplaces: Perspectives from non-Hispanic workers.” J. Saf. Res. 66 (Sep): 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2018.05.004.
Al-Bayati, A. J., A. Albert, and G. Ford. 2019. “Construction safety culture and climate: Satisfying necessity for an industry framework.” Pract. Period. Struct. Des. Constr. 24 (4): 04019028. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)SC.1943-5576.0000452.
Al-Bayati, A. J., K. O’Barr, S. Suk, A. Albert, and J. Chappell. 2020. “Experience modification rate as a prequalification criterion for safety performance.” Prof. Saf. 65 (7): 31–38.
Al-Bayati, A. J., and L. Panzer. 2019. “Reducing damage to underground utilities: Lessons learned from damage data and excavators in North Carolina.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 145 (12): 04019078. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001724.
Azaroff, L. S., C. Levenstein, and D. H. Wegman. 2002. “Occupational injury and illness surveillance: Conceptual filters explain underreporting.” Am. J. Public Health 92 (2): 1421–1429.
Baek, J.-B., S. Bae, B.-H. Ham, and K. P. Singh. 2008. “Safety climate practice in Korean manufacturing industry.” J. Hazard. Mater. 159 (1): 49–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2007.07.125.
BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics). 2020. “Q2. Cases with days away, restriction, and job transfer - injuries and illnesses - detailed industry by establishment size.” Accessed July 23, 2020. https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshsum.htm#12Quartile_Data.
Costin, A., A. Wehle, and A. Adibfar. 2019. “Leading indicators—A conceptual IoT-based framework to produce active leading indicators for construction safety.” Safety 5 (4): 86. https://doi.org/10.3390/safety5040086.
Cunningham, T. R., R. J. Guerin, B. M. Keller, M. A. Flynn, C. Salgado, and D. Hudson. 2018. “Differences in safety training among smaller and larger construction firms with non-native workers: Evidence of overlapping vulnerabilities.” Saf. Sci. 103 (Mar): 62–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2017.11.011.
Cunningham, T. R., and R. Sinclair. 2015. “Application of a model for delivering occupational safety and health to smaller businesses: Case studies from the US.” Saf. Sci. 71 (Jan): 213–225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2014.06.011.
Davis, C. G., J. Thake, and N. Vilhena. 2010. “Social desirability biases in self-reported alcohol consumption and harms.” Addict. Behav. 35 (4): 302–311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2009.11.001.
Guo, B. H. W., T. W. Yiu, and V. A. González. 2018. “Does company size matter? Validation of an integrative model of safety behavior across small and large construction companies.” J. Saf. Res. 64 (Feb): 73–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2017.12.003.
Harrison, B. 1997. Lean and mean: The changing landscape of corporate power in the age of flexibility. New York: Guilford Press.
Hasle, P., and H. J. Limborg. 2006. “A review of the literature on preventive occupational health and safety activities in small enterprises.” Ind. Health 44 (1): 6–12. https://doi.org/10.2486/indhealth.44.6.
He, C., B. McCabe, G. Jia, and J. Sun. 2020. “Effects of safety climate and safety behavior on safety outcomes between supervisors and construction workers.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 146 (1): 04019092. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001735.
Headd, B. 2010. An analysis of small business and jobs. Washington, DC: Small Business Administration.
Hinze, J., S. Thurman, and A. Wehle. 2013. “Leading indicators of construction safety performance.” Saf. Sci. 51 (1): 23–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2012.05.016.
Hoffmeister, K., A. M. Gibbons, S. K. Johnson, K. P. Cigularov, P. Y. Chen, and J. C. Rosecrance. 2014. “The differential effects of transformational leadership facets on employee safety.” Saf. Sci. 62 (Feb): 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2013.07.004.
Hsu, I.-Y., T.-S. Su, C. S. Kao, Y.-L. Shu, P.-R. Lin, and J.-M. Tseng. 2012. “Analysis of business safety performance by structural equation models.” Saf. Sci. 50 (1): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2011.04.012.
Jin, R., P. X. W. Zou, P. Piroozfar, H. Wood, Y. Yang, L. Yan, and Y. Han. 2019. “A science mapping approach based review of construction safety research.” Saf. Sci. 113 (Mar): 285–297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2018.12.006.
Legg, S. J., K. B. Olsen, I. S. Laird, and P. Hasle. 2015. “Managing safety in small and medium enterprises.” Saf. Sci. 71 (Jan): 189–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2014.11.007.
Liu, D., Z. Jin, and J. Gambatese. 2020. “Scenarios for integrating IPS–IMU system with BIM technology in construction safety control.” Pract. Period. Struct. Des. Constr. 25 (1): 05019007. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)SC.1943-5576.0000465.
Mendeloff, J. M., C. Nelson, K. Ko, and A. Haviland. 2006. Small business and workplace fatality risk: An exploratory analysis. Santa Monica, CA: RAND.
Neal, A., and M. A. Griffin. 2006. “A study of the lagged relationships among safety climate, safety motivation, safety behavior, and accidents at the individual and group levels.” J. Appl. Psychol. 91 (4): 946–953. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.91.4.946.
Oleinick, A., J. V. Gluck, and K. E. Guire. 1995. “Establishment size and risk of occupational injury.” Am. J. Ind. Med. 28 (1): 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.4700280102.
Rodrigues, M. A., P. M. Arezes, and C. P. Leão. 2015. “Safety climate and its relationship with furniture companies’ safety performance and workers’ risk acceptance.” Theor. Issues Ergon. Sci. 16 (4): 412–428. https://doi.org/10.1080/1463922X.2014.1003991.
Schwatka, N. V., L. M. Goldenharb, and S. K. Johnson. 2020. “Change in frontline supervisors’ safety leadership practices after participating in a leadership training program: Does company size matter?” J. Saf. Res. 74 (Sep): 199–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2020.06.012.
Seo, H.-C., Y.-S. Lee, J.-J. Kim, and N.-Y. Jee. 2015. “Analyzing safety behaviors of temporary construction workers using structural equation modeling.” Saf. Sci. 77 (Aug): 160–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2015.03.010.
Sørensen, O. H., P. Hasle, and E. Bach. 2007. “Working in small enterprises–is there a special risk?” Saf. Sci. 45 (10): 1044–1059. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2006.09.005.
Targoutzidis, A., T. Koukoulaki, E. Schmitz-Felten, K. Kuhl, K. M. Hengel Oude, E. Rijken, K. Van den Broek, and R. Klüser. 2014. The business case for safety and health at work: Cost-benefit analyses of interventions in small and medium-sized enterprises. Luxembourg: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.
Thomason, T., and S. Pozzebon. 2002. “Determinants of firm workplace health and safety and claims management practices.” ILR Rev. 55 (2): 286–307. https://doi.org/10.1177/001979390205500205.
Waehrer, G. M., X. S. Dong, T. Miller, E. Haile, and Y. Men. 2007. “Costs of occupational injuries in construction in the United States.” Accid. Anal. Prev. 39 (6): 1258–1266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2007.03.012.
Wallace, J. C., and G. Chen. 2005. “Development and validation of a work-specific measure of cognitive failure: Implications for occupational safety.” J. Occup. Organizational Psychol. 78 (4): 615–632. https://doi.org/10.1348/096317905X37442.
Wei, S. S. 2008. “A study of implementation of safety performance management.” Ind. Saf. Technol. Q. 66: 7–10.
Wu, T. C. 2001. “A study of safe climate and safety performance of four types of manufacturing industries in Taiwan.” Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. of Industrial Education, National Changhua Normal Univ.
Yu, X., K. Mehmood, N. Paulsen, Z. Ma, and H. K. Kwan. 2021. “Why safety knowledge cannot be transferred directly to expected safety outcomes in construction workers: The moderating effect of physiological perceived control and mediating effect of safety behavior.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 147 (1): 04020152. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001965.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 9, 2020
Accepted: Apr 28, 2021
Published online: Jul 10, 2021
Published in print: Nov 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Dec 10, 2021
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.
Cited by
- Ahmed Jalil Al-Bayati, Ali A. Karakhan, Ammar Alzarrad, Quantifying the Mediating Effect of Frontline Supervisors on Workers’ Safety Actions: A Construction Safety Culture Focus, Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction, 10.1061/PPSCFX.SCENG-1514, 29, 3, (2024).
- Ahmed Jalil Al-Bayati, Ricardo Eiris, Guillermo Ortega Hernandez, Miriam Ahmed Al-Bayati, Addressing Social Inequity in Construction Safety Research: Personal Protective Equipment Focus, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 10.1061/JCEMD4.COENG-13864, 149, 12, (2023).
- Ahmed Jalil Al-Bayati, Louis Panzer, Roy Everett Sturgill, Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) Standard: To Whom SUE Is Created, Pipelines 2023, 10.1061/9780784485033.047, (425-431), (2023).
- Ahmed Jalil Al-Bayati, Andrew T. Rener, Michael P. Listello, Mamdouh Mohamed, PPE non-compliance among construction workers: An assessment of contributing factors utilizing fuzzy theory, Journal of Safety Research, 10.1016/j.jsr.2023.02.008, (2023).
- Reneiloe Malomane, Innocent Musonda, Chioma Sylvia Okoro, The Opportunities and Challenges Associated with the Implementation of Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies to Manage Health and Safety, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 10.3390/ijerph19020846, 19, 2, (846), (2022).
- Jun Liu, Xinhua Wang, Tao Liu, Behavior Choice Mechanisms and Tax Incentive Mechanisms in the Game of Construction Safety, Buildings, 10.3390/buildings12081078, 12, 8, (1078), (2022).
- Jun Liu, Xinhua Wang, Xiao Nie, Rongwu Lu, Incentive Mechanism of Construction Safety from the Perspective of Mutual Benefit, Buildings, 10.3390/buildings12050536, 12, 5, (536), (2022).
- Ashtarout Ammar, Zamaan Al-Shabbani, Gabriel Dadi, Toward a Safety Culture Model for Small Construction Organizations, Construction Research Congress 2022, 10.1061/9780784483985.036, (356-365), (2022).