Safety culture in the construction industry

This paper provides an evaluation of safety culture in the construction industry. Safety culture is part of an organisation's culture. The concepts of safety culture and organisational culture are discussed, including the main characteristics of organisational culture. The cultural changes that health and safety law has sought to bring about in the construction industry are provided; these include top management commitment, employee involvement, training, co-ordination, communication, information sharing, forward planning, risk assessment and control. Research on safety culture in the aviation, mining, nuclear and offshore sectors is assessed with a view to drawing lessons for the construction industry. It is concluded that the safety climate or culture of an organisation can be assessed and a toolkit to assist in this process has been developed and published by the UK Health and Safety Executive. However, studies are required to develop this toolkit further to take account of the regulations, risks and management systems that are specific to the construction industry. Furthermore, it is concluded that safety is more than a cultural issue; it is an ethical issue as well. Although safety performance in construction has improved in recent years, it remains an unresolved issue for the industry.