Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023;76(2):549-560.
doi: 10.3233/WOR-220214.

Exploring safety culture research in the construction industry

Leif Berglund  1 , Jan Johansson  1 , Maria Johansson  1 , Magnus Nygren  1 , Magnus Stenberg  1
Affiliations

Exploring safety culture research in the construction industry

Leif Berglund et al. Work. 2023.

Abstract

Background: Despite numerous regulatory initiatives to improve health and safety in the construction industry, it still ranks as one of the most accident-prone industries worldwide. A dedicated focus on safety culture has been suggested as a complement to laws, regulations and management systems.

Objective: This article explores safety culture research conducted in the construction industry, with the aim to provide insight into the specific themes that tend to be in focus as well as what theoretical and methodological approaches that tend to be favored.

Methods: Searches in scientific databases were conducted twice. In a first attempt, searches resulted in 54 hits but only two articles fit the scope of the study. A revision of the search phrase resulted in 124 hits. Ultimately, 17 articles fit the scope of the study and were included. The content of the articles was analyzed and sorted thematically.

Results: The results show that four themes are prevalent in the existing literature: 1) unique challenges entail a need for situated applications, 2) models developed to operationalize safety culture, 3) measuring safety culture, and 4) safety management and leadership as key factors.

Conclusion: Although research focusing on the construction industry has come to favor certain study designs and definitions of safety culture, further research may be enriched by broadening the theoretical and methodological perspectives. Specifically, researchers should conduct more in-depth qualitative studies that take the complexity of the industry into account, including the interpersonal relations between the actors involved.

Keywords: Construction work; occupational health and safety; safety management.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Article selection process.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Johansson J, Berglund L, Johansson M, Nygren M, Rask K, Samuelson B, Stenberg M. Occupational safety in the construction industry. WORK. 2019;64(1):21–32. Doi: 10.3233/WOR-192976 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kang Y, Siddiqui S, Suk SJ, Chi S, Kim C. Trends of fall accidents in the U.S. construction industry. J Constr Eng Manage. 2017;143(8):04017043. Doi: 10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0001332 - DOI
    1. Winge S, Albrechtsen E. Accident types and barrier failures in the construction industry. Saf Sci. 2018;105:158–66. Doi: 10.1016/j.ssci.2018.02.006 - DOI
    1. Guldenmund FW. The nature of safety culture: A review of theory and research. Saf Sci. 2000;34:215–57. Doi: 10.1016/s0925-7535(00)00014-x - DOI
    1. Edwards JRD, Davey J, Armstrong K. Returning to the roots of culture: A review and re-conceptualisation of safety culture. Saf Sci. 2013;55:70–80. Doi: 10.1016/j.ssci.2013.01.004 - DOI

LinkOut - more resources