Developing a framework for a positive safety culture towards improved small and medium-sized enterprise contractor performance in Ghana

Abstract

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in construction play a significant part in the economic development of countries. Governments worldwide have recognised construction SMEs' role in contributing to GDP and employing a large workforce. However, construction SMEs are challenged with a poor safety culture resulting in poor safety performance. This is due to the absence of a positive safety culture among the construction SMEs in Ghana which allows the SMEs to neglect the health and wellbeing of their employees resulting into high rates of accidents. The challenge is to determine what construction SMEs must do in order to establish a positive safety culture that will enhance their safety performance. The primary goal of this thesis was to develop a positive safety culture framework that will enhance the safety performance of construction SMEs in Ghana. To accomplish the aim of this study, a mixed-methods research technique was used in which both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analysed. The Delphi method was employed to collect qualitative data. The Delphi method is a process used to arrive at a group opinion or decision by surveying a panel of experts. Out of the 31 health and safety experts who were purposively invited to participate in the Delphi process, 18 accepted voluntarily to participate in the study (58% response rate). The Delphi process ended in round three with 16 health and safety experts from Ghana. Consensus was reached on 79 leading indicators, which were categorised under 14 core elements of health and safety. The final enhanced conceptual framework for health and safety consisted of five independent variables, one intervening variable, and one dependent variable. The results from the Delphi process led to the compilation of a semi-structured questionnaire used to gather the opinions of a larger group of construction SMES in Ghana. The survey was conducted among 450 purposively selected senior employees of construction SMEs in Ghana. However, 284 responses were acknowledged for analysis amounting to a response rate of 63.11%. The results led to the conceptualisation of a framework for improvement. The modified conceptual framework was evaluated for validity and reliability. In conclusion, a positive safety culture framework was developed to help construction SMEs in Ghana to enhance their safety performance. The findings revealed that safety information, safety commitment, safety awareness and safety adaptability positively influenced the safety culture of construction SMEs in Ghana. It was revealed further that a positive safety culture has a significant effect on the safety performance of construction SMEs. The findings from the studyindicated that the 79 leading indicator metrics established from literature and accepted by health and safety experts in Ghana, as well as the framework developed for positive safety culture might be used to help construction SMEs in Ghana to limit injuries, accidents, and fatalities for improved safety performance.