The significance of general project management performance for safety performance in construction projects is studied in a sample of Norwegian construction projects. The data used are from a benchmarking tool for performance assessment and incident data from construction projects across the industry. Statistical analysis through independent-sample Mann–Whitney U-tests is performed to test for and identify significant relationships between project management, safety management and safety performance. The analysis confirms that good overall management of a construction project positively impacts safety management. The results advocate for applying safety management as an integral aspect of all management activities in a project rather than as a disconnected sub-system. The work is novel by empirically demonstrating the impact of project management aspects on safety management in construction projects.