Using a psychological contract of safety to predict safety climate on construction sites

Aziz

et al. 2020

This study aims to examine the direct effect of safety climate and the mediation effect of safety knowledge on laboratory safety behavior among university students. The quantitative method using questionnaires was used in this study. A total of 278 chemical engineering students at three public universities were involved in this study. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics via IBM SPSS Statistics and SEM SmartPLS 3.0. From the study, management commitment, supervisor commitment, student commitment, risk perception, and safety reward were able to shape the safety climate construct. Meanwhile, safety compliance and safety participation were able to develop the laboratory safety behavior construct. This study confirmed that safety climate had a direct effect on laboratory safety behavior. Besides, safety knowledge has mediated the relationship between safety climate and laboratory safety behavior among university students. In this study, the mediation effect of safety knowledge provided a superior result compared to the direct impact. Safety knowledge was an essential element in the management of laboratory safety. The management of the universities, therefore, should recognize the importance of offering subjects related to occupational safety to the program which operates laboratory facilities. For a reason, this study has confirmed that safety subjects could enhance safety knowledge and have a positive impact on laboratory safety behavior among students. Hence, the study of the relationship between safety climate and laboratory safety behavior should be discovered in other educational organizations such as private universities, teacher’s education institutes (IPG), polytechnics, and community colleges.

Section: 10 Pengenalanunclassified

Safety Climate and Safety Behavior in the Laboratory among University Students / Iklim Keselamatan dan Gelagat Selamat di dalam Makmal dalam Kalangan Pelajar Universiti

Aziz

et al. 2020

“…Indeed, PC theory argues that implied promises and reciprocal obligations are critical elements even though expectations are instrumental in the development of a PC (Shore et al, 2002). In addition, the PC has been found to predict the safety perception of the workers (Newaz et al, 2019). Sully (2001) claims that a PC is an avenue meant to explore reciprocal relationships, as it is revealed that safety focusses on reciprocity that entails a duty of care on the part of an employer and the need for the employee to uphold safety standards (Walker and Hutton, 2006).…”

Section: Psychological Contract Of Safety (Pcs)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Managerial implications for construction practices as a consequence of using a psychological contract of safety

Newaz

Jefferies

Davis

et al. 2020

ECAM

Self Cite

PurposeDespite many studies that aim to argue, develop and position the concept of psychological contracts, few have explored how a psychological contract may be applied to safety in the construction industry. A psychological contract of safety (PCS) describes an individual's conceptualized belief that relates to mutual safety obligations, drawn from explicit or implicit promises of associated workers or its supervisor. This study investigates safety practices on construction sites through the lens of the widely applied and researched psychological contract theory emanating from a business paradigm.Design/methodology/approachThe process of validating a PCS scale within the construction industry required the collection of data from a mega-construction project in Sydney, Australia. A quantitative methodology was used to collect data from 352 construction workers through a survey instrument designed to reveal their perception of procedures, policies and practices. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to ensure data reliability and data validity of the survey findings together with goodness of fit of PCS model.FindingsThe findings showed the presence of a PCS in a construction safety setting examined. A two-factor model underlying aspects, namely employer and employee obligations was recommended since the four-factor model, including relational and transactional components of both parties' safety obligations, could not be validated due to the discriminant validity associated with the particular constructs.Originality/valueConceptualizing the extant PC theory as a framework from which to leverage safety management initiatives brings a new approach to construction safety studies, revealing the influential role of supervisors in interpreting safety practices. The research aimed to identify safety obligations, which are influential in the development of PSC scale, further the research provides an explanation as to how a PCS may be contextualized in the construction industry.

“…The decision by the house builder (management) to use crane erection methodology to drive safety and to maximize efficiency and performance also indicates that management-driven safety could be mutually dependent on efficiency and performance. Studies have looked at the relationships between efficiency and workplace safety in construction and there is a consensus that the commitment of the management to safety could significantly influence the safety climate within the workplace [31][32][33][34]. When safety and efficiency are assigned equal amount of attention within the workplace, this suggests a sign of genuine commitment from the management towards workplace and task-based safety [17], and this can often mean workers complying with safety to achieve productivity targets without necessarily increasing the complexity of the production systems.…”

Section: Optimizing Efficiency and Safetymentioning

confidence: 99%

Maximizing Construction of Timber Kit Homes Using Telescopic Crane to Improve Efficiency and Safety: A Case Study

et al. 2020

The challenges of improving efficiency and safety is a daunting task as workers are squeezed with an ever-dwindling resource pool and yet expected to deliver construction projects at optimum capacity. Improving efficiency and safety using telescopic cranes for the construction of Off-Site Manufacturing (OSM) timber kit homes is a viable option for the speedy delivery of new homes. An action research evaluated the maximization of the build and process efficiency and safety using a crane to erect wall panels, floors, and roofs. Data collection through direct observation assessed the labor uptime and downtime, including crane usage. A balanced score card was used by management for strategic organizational decision-making regarding the crane erection. The use of the crane reduced workplace manual handling of OSM panels, minimized the exposure of operatives to work at height risks, and eliminated alterations to scaffolds. However, the manual loading of thermal-insulated plasterboards to floor decks impacted the process efficiency and speed of installing the fixtures and increased the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. High labor downtimes were associated with the adverse weather conditions, which slowed the efficiency of the workforce during construction. The management’s inability to adequately plan the work program further hindered aspects of lifting operations and the speed and number of houses built.