Developing a Model of Construction Safety Culture

Abstract

The concept of safety culture is relatively new in the construction industry; however, it is gaining popularity due to its ability to embrace all perceptional, psychological, behavioral, and managerial factors. To address the lack of a verifiable process to analyze construction safety culture, this technical note presents a robust conceptual model that has its roots firmly entrenched in pertinent academic and applied literature. It provides a critical review of the term "safety culture"; along with distinct yet related concepts (i.e., safety climate, behavior-based safety, and safety system). It also compares the proposed model with available safety culture models in order to demonstrate its applicability in construction site environments. © 2007 ASCE.