Construction actor safety behaviour: antecedents, current thinking and directions.

Procedures, regulations, and safety management systems (SMS) have reduced the incidence of occupational accidents, but they still occur. Current methods have enjoyed some success however these methods mostly address aspects of safety that are not behaviour-related. Researchers have argued that construction actors’ behaviours account for most accidents and so understanding and being able to modify behaviour should be crucial to improving the occupational safety and health (OSH) performance of the industry. In reference to behaviour, antecedents precede behaviours whilst consequences succeed behaviours and researchers argue that both direct construction actors’ behaviour. It is therefore important to study and use them strategically to increase and decrease the frequency of safe and unsafe behaviours respectively. Some antecedents (e.g. training and ergonomics) and some consequences (e.g. saving time and convenience) of construction actors’ safety behaviours are discussed. Further, modification techniques (e.g. classical and operant conditioning) that can improve these behaviours are also examined. Researchers have also argued that safety culture and safety climate influence construction actor’s safety behaviours and the relationship between the two are discussed as well. According to the theory of planned behaviour and the theory of reasoned action, there seems to a misalignment between perceived and actual behaviours; this paves way for further research. This paper summarises the findings of a literature review on behavioural safety and discusses several techniques to modify behaviours and potential areas for further research

THE IMPACT OF EMPLOYEE SAFETY CLIMATE ON SAFETY BEHAVIOR IN SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

Purpose of the study: The objective of this study is to examine the mediation effect of ESC on the relationship between climate constructs and intention to Safety in small and medium enterprises. Methodology: A structured self-administrative questionnaire was distributed to the employee of the small-medium enterprise in Peninsular Malaysia using simple random sampling. The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) procedure were carried out to filter the items and validate the constructs in the study. The study tested the proposed hypotheses using the second-generation method of multivariate analysis Structural Equation Modelling (SEM. Furthermore, the results were confirmed through the bootstrapping procedure. All analysis of this study was conducted using IBM-SPSS-AMOS version 24.0. Main Findings: All items retained from EFA results were rearranged for the field study questionnaire. The CFA results indicated that the absolute fit index (RMSEA= 0.071) CFI = 0.975, TLC = 0.964, chisq/df = 2.431 achieved the requirement level. The results of this present study revealed that employee safety climate mediated the relationship between WO, IWE, and intention to safety behavior. Additionally, results indicated that ESC is the most prominent factor of intention to safety behavior. Applications of this study: The results from this study contribute to the improvement of proactive safety performance measures in small-medium enterprises, but further efforts are required for achieving an excellent safety performance level. Novelty/Originality of this study: The present study adds to the literature of safety performance and provides direction for future research work in this area. Additionally, the results of this present study mark an important step towards standardizing the measurement of safety climate in small and medium industries

Positive actions to improve mental well-being among construction workers

Construction workers are at a higher risk for mental health issues than every other profession. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the construction industry is the second leading suicide rate, and nearly 25% of workers reported mental health problems in their last working month. Recent studies tried to identify the actual causes of this concerning data by putting together the more common stressors and coping strategies for construction workers. Moreover, some statistically valid relationships with depression and anxiety symptoms were pinpointed. Some leading construction companies are starting to spot the economic consequences of the workers’ mental well-being decrease. Nevertheless, the actual knowledge and resources to apply effective protocols are scarce, representing an additional barrier to mental health treatment. To address these shortcomings, this thesis firstly gathers all actual relevant information and calls it into question. All knowledge about work-related risk factors, common coping methods, and the stress appraisal process of the construction workforce is brought to light, compiling the state of the science. Secondly, the stage for employers that want to participate in employees’ mental health improvement is initiated. The future of workplace mental well-being includes a common effort of both employers and employees to address together these challenges, and finish with the loneliness that workers find when mental issues are manifested. This thesis pursues the objective to involve companies and resources by presenting a step- wise protocol to increase the awareness, measurement of crew mental health status, and efficient prioritization of resources. Keys for actions’ implementation, protocol evaluation, and apprenticeship are also introduced. Resource management and return on investment results are essential to involve stakeholders. Safety risk analysis and contingent viability modeling for safety are additionally explained thoroughly to lay the foundations of future mental health risk analysis. Having the crew motivated and pleased is socially and economically beneficial. The construction industry is lagging behind others in creating new work-friendly environments, that increase productivity and work satisfaction

The transfer of safety training: unveiling the role of OHS trainers

The main goal of this thesis is to provide a contribution to the knowledge of the role played by OHS professionals in the transfer of the safety training they prepare and deliver in organizations as in-house trainers, in the context of their overall activity. The influences of other environmental and individual factors unexplored in the study of the transfer process are also examined. The present thesis is divided in five chapters that comprehend a review of literature about professional training and safety training, mainly focusing on the transfer problematic and the factors that affect it (Chapters 1 and 2), and three empirical studies that analyze different angles of the same phenomenon (Chapters 3, 4 and 5). The importance of the safety training transfer problematic is enhanced as well as the factors that may determine the success of interventions. From a theoretical point of view, the present work provides several major contributions, in particular: it unveils how OHS professionals, through their safety-related interactions with employees’ in the work environment, can influence the transfer of safety training and how they perceive their role in the process; it reveals the effect of felt-responsibility in the transfer process, as a psychological mechanism that affect both the trainers’ support toward transfer and the trainees’ effort to apply the safety training in-the-job. Regarding the practical contributions, this thesis suggests important strategies to the training design and management in organizations that can improve the safety training success.A presente tese tem como principal finalidade contribuir para o conhecimento sobre o papel desempenhado pelos profissionais de SST na transferência da formação que preparam e ministram aos trabalhadores, no âmbito do seu trabalho nas organizações. São ainda analisadas influências de fatores ambientais e individuais no processo de transferência ainda inexploradas pela investigação. Para o efeito estruturámos a tese em cinco capítulos que incluem: uma revisão da literatura sobre a formação profissional, em geral e no domínio específico da saúde e segurança no trabalho, com particular enfoque na problemática da transferência da formação e dos fatores que a afetam (capítulos 1 e 2); três estudos empíricos que analisam diferentes dimensões do mesmo fenómeno (capítulos 3, 4 e 5). A importância do tópico da transferência da formação em saúde e segurança no trabalho é realçada tal como a dos fatores que determinam o sucesso das intervenções. De um ponto de vista teórico, a tese proporciona como principais contributos: um conhecimento sobre como os profissionais de SST podem influenciar, através das interações que estabelecem com os trabalhadores, no âmbito do sistema de gestão da SST das organizações, a utilização das aprendizagens realizadas na formação; revela o efeito do sentido de responsabilidade no processo de transferência, enquanto mecanismo psicológico que afeta tanto o apoio prestado pelo profissional de SST à transferência como o esforço dos formandos em aplicar no trabalho os adquiridos na formação. No que respeita aos contributos práticos, a tese sugere importantes estratégias para o desenho e gestão das intervenções formativas em saúde e segurança no trabalho nas organizações

Safety training for migrant workers in the construction industry: A systematic review and future research agenda

In the construction sector, there is a high risk for accidents, injuries, and fatalities, particularly for migrant workers who comprise a large proportion of the workforce. This article presents a systematic literature review of current safety training provision for migrant construction workers. In the interests of rigor, we draw on the learning, training transfer, and training effectiveness literatures, exploring not only the extent to which training brings about the intended outcomes, in terms of enhanced safety behaviors, and reduced accidents and injuries, but also the factors that influence learning and transfer of training back to the working environment. The literature search revealed only 18 peer-reviewed articles have been published since 2000, which is particularly surprising, given the disproportionate accident and fatality rates for migrant workers. Consequently, we propose a research agenda to enhance safety training for low skilled, migrant and native construction workers, drawing on cognitive and social constructivist instructional design models, which view training as a dynamic process involving active participation of trainees. We advocate the importance of attending to the situational context in which workers are embedded, including labor market conditions, social relations, and cultural differences. Finally, we propose the need for further longitudinal, multidimensional research to evaluate the impact of safety training on learning, transfer of training, and individual- and organizational-level outcomes, such as behavior change, and accident and fatality rates

A new governance approach for multi-firm projects: lessons from Olkiluoto 3 and Flamanville 3 nuclear power plant projects

We analyze governance in two contemporary nuclear power plant projects: Olkiluoto 3 (Finland) and Flamanville 3 (France). We suggest that in the governance of large multi-firm projects, any of the prevalent governance approaches that rely on market, hierarchy, or hybrid forms, is not adequate as such. This paper opens up avenues towards a novel theory of governance in large projects by adopting a project network view with multiple networked firms within a single project, and by simultaneously going beyond organizational forms that cut across the traditional firm–market dichotomy. Our analysis suggests four changes in the prevailing perspective towards the governance of large projects. First, there should be a shift from viewing multi-firm projects as hierarchical contract organizations to viewing them as supply networks characterized by a complex and networked organizational structure. Second, there should be a shift in the emphasis of the predominant modes of governance, market and hierarchy towards novel governance approaches that emphasize network-level mechanisms such as self-regulation within the project. Third, there should be a shift from viewing projects as temporary endeavors to viewing projects as short-term events or episodes embedded in the long-term sphere of shared history and expected future activities among the involved actors. Fourth, there should be a shift from the prevailing narrow view of a hierarchical project management system towards an open system view of managing in complex and challenging institutional environments

Proceedings of the Vision Zero Summit 2019 12–14 November 2019 Helsinki, Finland

The Vision Zero Summit was held on 12–14 November 2019 in Helsinki Finland, and organized by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, with the support of our partners. Vision Zero is a strategy and a holistic mindset. It is continuous improvement of safety, health, and wellbeing at work, not just a numerical goal. This summit focused on discussing different aspects of Vision Zero, taking the Vision Zero thinking and actions to the next level, and sharing best practices and lessons learned. One theme of the Summit was worded as Rethinking Vision Zero, which is a reminder that there are many perspectives to Vision Zero. Vision Zero Summit was one of the side events of Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU. One of the Vision Zero Summit’s goal was to provide new ideas and perspectives, as well as strengthen participants professional networks. This Proceedings publication is a compilation of the papers presented on 12–14 November 2019 in the Vision Zero Summit 2019 in Helsinki

Workplace Safety Strategies Used by Managers to Reduce Workplace Accidents

Ineffective safety strategies contribute to work-related accidents making the workplace one of the hazardous locations in the United States. The findings might provide organizational managers with strategies to improve workplace safety practices leading to a healthier and safer work environment. Grounded in Heinrich’s safety management systems conceptual model, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies organizational managers used to reduce workplace accidents. The participants consisted of 6 managers who oversaw safety issues at 1 organization in the central region of North Carolina. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and company documents. Data analysis consisted of Yin’s 5-phase cycle. Three themes morphed to include enforcing the need for safety training, creating a culture for safety awareness, and implementing company-wide safety policies. A key recommendation is that organization leaders provide safety training, increasing safety awareness, and creating or revising company-wide safety policies. The implication for positive social change includes benefitting local residents through enhanced stability of communities with increased employment opportunities enabling residents to contribute to community betterment to sustain a safe working environment to enhance a safer community

Employee engagement and its potential influence on selected performance metrics - A case study

The current thesis has been written as an answer to two developments: recent rise in popularity of the concept of ‘employee engagement’, and lack of agreement, among academics, on its very nature or even existence. It attempts to examine employee engagement’s essence, antecedents, and consequences. Accordingly, it is constructed in a somewhat hierarchical manner. It includes extensive literature review, qualitative study, and quantitative research. Literature review consists of two parts. First part introduces central assumptions of employee engagement and the job demands–resources (JD-R) model. The second part addresses employee engagement’s potential positive consequences. It explores such outcomes as financial results, turnover, safety, proactive behavior, task performance, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and absenteeism. Qualitative research examines how employee engagement is perceived ‘in practice’, and attempts to justify the very application of absence rates in the following quantitative study. Finally, quantitative part tests the extent to what employee engagement may affect the absences. The thesis uses triangulation as a methodological approach, ergo both qualitative and quantitative methods. In the qualitative part, information was gathered through extensive individual interviews and focus groups, at the case company. In the quantitative part, regression and statistical equation model (SEM) were employed to calculate the relationship between the total amount of sick time and the results of the employee engagement index, at the case company. As a result, based on the available literature, the thesis introduces a discrete employee engagement definition and compares it against own qualitative data. It corroborates the job demands-resources (JD-R) framework, as a useful model to study employee engagement antecedents. It finds a negative association between employee engagement index and absence rates. It also confirms a conditional suitability of absence rates and safety outcomes as performance metrics with relation to employee engagement, at the case company. Employee engagement key features appear to be largely applicable in the case company. However, due to company’s specific features (e.g. safety needs) some of the construct’s elements may not be transferable into other working environments. Hence, the current thesis advocates that while it is advisable for an organization to take into account available academic and commercial employee engagement interpretations, it may also be worthwhile to look for an ‘own’ version of the concept

The influence of organisational typology, strategy, leadership and psychological forces on UK offshore oil and gas industry safety performance.

The UK Offshore Oil and Gas Industry is recognised as having made significant safety performance improvement progress, following the Piper Alpha disaster (6th July 1988), subsequent Public Inquiry and 106 recommendations made by the Cullen Report. However, accidents continue to occur on offshore assets due to leadership and organisational failures, poor behaviours, lack of operating discipline, asset integrity challenges and an absence of aligned safety strategy. Research was conducted through a strategic lens, looking across a typical operator company's value chain, and going beyond the predominant technical and engineering safety focus. Utilising safety climate as a leading indicator of safety performance, research explored the ways in which organisational typology, strategy, leadership and psychological forces contribute to safety performance on offshore assets. Research of this nature had not previously been conducted in the UK offshore oil and gas industry - triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data was utilised. Semi-structured interviews were conducted onshore with managers and supervisors to determine the organisational typology make-up of the value chain and associated safety strategy, with consideration for leadership and the psychological forces dynamic of human factors. An offshore workforce safety study was deployed at seven offshore assets. Under academic licence, the study utilised proven and validated data collection tools: authentic leadership questionnaire (ALQ); psychological capital questionnaire (PCQ); and the safety climate tool (SCT). The research identified organisational typology patterns across the value chain. Operator and contractor organisations were determined to typically identify as defenders and prospectors, while sub-contractors identified as analyzers and reactors. Considering safety performance at the offshore assets as measured by safety climate perception, it was concluded that organisational typology had no influence. There was no statistically significant difference between the safety performance indicator of safety climate perceptions across the typologies associated with the operator, contractor and sub-contractor value chain groups. Strict compliance with the operator control of work arrangements plus consistent operator safety messaging was concluded to be the mediating factor. Authentic leadership and psychological capital constructs were both demonstrated to be positively correlated with safety climate scores. Each of the seven assets studied returned 'Good' safety climate scores on a validated scoring system. However, there was no significant difference determined across operator, contractor and sub-contractor groups for safety climate scores by authentic leadership and psychological capital. Strict compliance with the operator control of work arrangements plus consistent operator safety messaging was again concluded to be the mediating factor. Persisting with current compliance-based practices was determined to possess a limiting effect over the ability to evolve from 'Good' to 'Excellent' safety climate scores in future offshore asset operations. Contributions to practice, knowledge and method were derived from the research findings and conclusion. Four specific recommendations were made for practice, plus four for future safety science research