Fostering Safety Communication among Construction Workers: Role of Safety Climate and Crew-Level Cohesion

Bhavana Pandit, Alex Albert, Yashwardhan Patil and Ahmed Jalil Al-Bayati
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Bhavana Pandit: Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, 2501 Stinson Dr., Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
Alex Albert: Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, 2501 Stinson Dr., Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
Yashwardhan Patil: Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, 2501 Stinson Dr., Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
Ahmed Jalil Al-Bayati: Department of Construction Management, Western Carolina University, 389 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee, NC 28723, USA

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Safety communication among construction workers is fundamental to effective safety management. However, evidence suggests that poor safety communication is a common problem in construction workplaces. In fact, previous research has unveiled a number of systemic barriers to effective safety communication in the construction industry. When workers do not sufficiently communicate relevant safety hazards and appropriate injury prevention measures, unexpected injuries can follow. Therefore, research examining factors that promote or impede effective safety communication is necessary. Towards achieving this goal, the purpose of the current research was to evaluate the effect of safety climate and crew cohesion on the demonstrated safety communication levels. The goal was achieved by gathering empirical data from 57 construction workplaces in the United States. More specifically, the participating construction workplaces were visited, and data pertaining to the safety climate and crew-level cohesion were first collected using questionnaire surveys. Next, a safety communication survey instrument was administered, and the data necessary to compute network density—a social network metric that is indicative of safety communication levels was gathered. The analysis of the data suggested that a positive relationship exists between safety climate and safety communication levels. Likewise, construction crews that demonstrated higher levels of cohesion exhibited superior safety communication levels. Finally, evidence also suggested that a synergetic effect exists between safety climate and crew cohesion in improving safety communication levels.

Keywords: construction safety; safety communication; cohesion; safety climate; occupational safety; health and safety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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