An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Safety Culture

Abstract

The construction industry is well known with high levels of workplace accidents, resulting in complex legal situations and legal cases. Statistics show that the human-error-related accidents are more common than in the past in the construction industry. A scan of health and safety research suggests human behavior may play a central role in preventing injuries or fatalities. Additionally, researchers are debating that a majority of workplace accidents and injuries are attributed to the unsafe work practices of employees rather than unsafe working conditions. The purpose of this study is to understand the antecedents of safety behaviors in construction workplace settings. Utilizing a sample of 136 employees from the Turkish construction industry, a 70-item survey was conducted to measure the influence of employees' safety culture perception, and mindfulness on self-reported safety behaviors. The study conceptualized safety culture and safety behavior as multidimensional constructs. A structural equation model was used to analyze and explain the relationships among the constructs included in the proposed framework. Findings demonstrate important relationships between mindfulness and safety behavior; and employees' safety culture perception and workplace errors. It is concluded that mindfulness can contribute to understanding and improving safety behavior, not only at the individual level, but also at the organization level within the context of construction industry.