Strategies for Achieving Excellence in Construction Safety Performance

Abstract

This paper provides strategies for improving construction safety performance through the analysis of numerical profiles of companies and projects with varying levels of safety performance. This research perspective compliments much of the previous safety-related research, which tends to be more qualitative in nature, addressing “what” factors are important for success as opposed to “how much” is appropriate to achieve successful safety outcomes. Corporate safety coordinators completed questionnaires that solicited quantitative data (e.g., number of safety inspections, dollars spent on safety program, and percentage of time devoted to safety issues) at both the company and project levels. Several safety performance measures were investigated: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) incidence rates, experience modification rating (EMR), and a subjective project performance rating. Forty eight company programs and 69 individual project safety programs are included in the analysis. Results from the statistical data analysis point to several company- and project-specific factors that are statistically significant in improving safety performance. This paper can benefit contractors, specialty contractors, and owners by providing them with objective strategies to consistently achieve better safety performance.