Identifying Desirable Safety Actions of Upper Management to Foster Higher Levels of Construction Safety Culture

Abstract

Upper management serves as the originator of safety culture within construction firms. Although the role of upper management is crucial to construction site safety, its specific actions in promoting a superior safety culture are under-researched and need further examination. This study uses a mixed research methodology to identify and rank key actions that upper management can take to enhance organizational safety culture. Specifically, a Delphi method involving 21 experts and a subsequent survey methodology of 113 construction professionals were utilized. Accordingly, 17 key actions were identified and grouped into three categories: leadership; resources and funding; and communication. The findings indicate that the most crucial action upper management can take is demonstrating its commitment to safety through concrete actions. The research also emphasizes the importance of upper management collaborating with and empowering frontline supervisors as safety champions. Building a robust construction firm safety culture and project climate is essential for ensuring the well-being of workers and the success of any project. This cannot be achieved without a clearly defined list of desirable safety actions. Few studies, if any, have focused on the desirable safety actions of upper management. As a result, this study contributes valuable insights to the field, providing practical guidance for the industry and deepening our understanding of how upper management can effectively foster a positive firm safety culture and project safety climate as well as assess their safety contribution.