Firm Size Influence on Construction Safety Culture and Construction Safety Climate

Abstract

Smaller construction firms represent the majority of US construction firms. The safety record of smaller construction firms indicates a lower safety performance and higher incident rates than those found in larger construction firms. Therefore, there is a need for a greater understanding of the challenges that prevent smaller construction firms from achieving higher safety performance levels. Understanding these challenges will help construction safety practitioners and policymakers provide the necessary interventions to improve overall construction site safety. Data were collected from 275 construction practitioners in the US, resulting in scores for safety culture, climate, and behavior. The results suggest a statistically significant positive correlation between firm size and construction safety culture, which represents the safety-related actions of upper management and safety personnel. Thus, interventions that aim to develop sustainable safety and health management systems for smaller construction firms are necessary. On the other hand, the study indicates no statistically significant correlation between firm size and the construction safety climate, which represents the safety-related actions of field personnel (frontline supervisors and workers). These findings contribute to the body of knowledge by providing a meaningful understanding of the interventions needed to improve the overall safety performance of smaller construction firms.