Moving the Construction Safety Climate Forward in Developing Countries

The construction industry in developing economies is responsible for creating deliverables such as infrastructure and housing while providing a means of livelihood to an ever-increasing number of management and frontline workers. However, in many parts of the world, injuries and fatalities have continued to damage the industry’s image. This book intends to meet the needs of many construction managers who, though technically informed, struggle with managing frontline workers, especially regarding motivating positive safety outcomes. It discusses the challenges experienced in the industry and how site management may navigate them to improve safety performance in the workplace. By documenting the experiences of site management in developing countries, this book intends to contribute to the education of professionals on evolving better safety environments on construction sites. It considers the safety climate in a high-risk work environment, administrative procedures and the implementation mechanisms. The book also documents findings from existing literature about developing countries in contrast to what is obtainable in developed countries. Each chapter features context-specific explanations from empirical research conducted in developing countries. Key safety climate issues are contextualised, considering the challenges faced in developing countries, alongside current trends that will help chart future directions that will promote continuous improvement of safety outcomes of construction projects. This book is essential reading for construction managers, researchers and academics in the field of safety management, infrastructure delivery and project management.

Contents List of Figures List of Tables Preface Acknowledgements CHAPTER 1 SAFETY CLIMATE IN CONSTRUCTION 1.1: Introduction 1.2: Construction safety in Sub-Saharan Africa 1.2.1: Noncompliance to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulations 1.3: Safety climate in construction operations 1.3.1: Construction safety performance 1.3.2: Management safety values 1.3.3: Safety performance indicators 1.3.4: Barriers to safety performance 1.4: Management safety practice 1.5: Construction workers’ safety behaviour 1.6: H&S compliance issues in developing countries 1.7: Conclusions References CHAPTER 2 SAFETY PRIORITY 2.1: Introduction 2.2: Management safety commitment and practice 2.2.1: Managements’ visible safety priority 2.3: Organisational safety policy 2.4: Workers’ perceived safety priority and commitment 2.4.1: Compliance and commitment-based safety compliance among workers 2.4.2: Organisational citizenship behaviour 2.4.3: Counterproductive work behaviour 2.5: Management safety support 2.5.1: Safety-related behaviour 2.6: Safety priority issues in developing countries 2.7: Conclusions References CHAPTER 3 SAFETY EMPOWERMENT 3.1: Introduction 3.2: Worker empowerment 3.3: Safety empowerment in accident-prone workplaces 3.4: Safety education 3.5: Safety learning 3.6: Safety knowledge 3.7: Benefits of safety empowerment 3.8: Improved safety performance 3.9: Safety empowerment in developing countries 3.10: Conclusions References CHAPTER 4 SAFETY JUSTICE 4.1: Introduction 4.2: Organisational justice 4.3: Safety justice in the workplace 4.4: Incident reporting 4.5: Accountability in a just culture 4.6: Safety justice in developing countries 4.7: Conclusions References CHAPTER 5 SAFETY LEADERSHIP 5.1: Introduction 5.2: Safety leadership in construction 5.2.1: Big Five Personality Traits 5.3: Transactional safety leadership 5.4: Transformational safety leadership 5.5: Servant safety leadership 5.6: Workers’ safety leadership behaviour 5.7: Conclusions References CHAPTER 6 SAFETY COMMITMENT 6.1: Introduction 6.2: Management safety commitment 6.3: Safety compliance and participation 6.4: Workers’ safety commitment 6.5: Safety commitment in developing countries 6.6: Conclusions References CHAPTER 7 SAFETY COMMUNICATION 7.1: Introduction 7.2: Safety communication 7.2.1: Open safety communication 7.2.2: Perceived management openness 7.3: Safety training and education 7.3.1: Construction safety training methods 7.3.2: Safety Knowledge and communication 7.4: Safety communication in developing countries 7.5: Conclusions References CHAPTER 8 SAFETY TRUST 8.1: Introduction 8.2: Safety trust in construction 8.2.1: Antecedents of Safety Trust 8.2.2: Factors which influence workers’ safety trust in management 8.3: Workers’ trust in safety management systems 8.4: Safety distrust in construction 8.5: Benefits of safety trust 8.6: Safety trust in developing countries 8.7: Conclusions References

Tchad Sharon Jatau lectures in the Department of Quantity Surveying at Kaduna State University, Nigeria. Fidelis Emuze is Professor and Department Head in the Department of Built Environment at the Central University of Technology, Free State, South Africa. John Smallwood is Professor of Construction Management at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa.