Use of performance measurement and goal setting to improve construction managers' focus on health and safety

Previous attempts to use goal setting and feedback to improve safety behaviour on construction sites have focused on operatives, but recognized management commitment as essential for success. This research addressed two problems: validly and reliably measuring the safety performance of construction managers; and motivating managers to improve their safety performance. A measure of management safety performance was developed, covering seven items: induction training; toolbox talk training; safety committees; subcontractor safety; maintenance of safety records; safety manager actions and safety consideration (interaction, communication and worker engagement). This was used on a case study site to improve motivation of the management team. During an intervention, using monthly feedback and goal‐setting techniques, their performance improved from 49% to 82% of maximum expected performance. The results demonstrate that a valid and reliable measure of management safety performance is practicable and support the proposition that goal setting can improve management safety performance in the construction industry.

[1]  Xiao-Hua Zhou,et al.  Statistical Methods for Meta‐Analysis , 2008 .

[2]  E. A. Locke.  Toward a theory of task motivation and incentives , 1968 .

[3]  Jacob Cohen.  Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences , 1969, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Research Design.

[4]  Fred A. Manuele.  Human Error Reduction , 2007 .

[5]  Raymond E. Levitt,et al.  Reducing Construction Accidents—Top Management’s Role , 1976 .

[6]  Helen. Lingard.  Safety in Hong Kong's construction industry: changing worker behaviour , 1995 .

[7]  Ahmad Hadavi,et al.  Difficulties with Implementation of Goal Setting for Construction , 1994 .

[8]  E. Mayo.  The Human Problems of an Industrial Civilization , 1934, Nature.

[9]  Fabricio E. Balcazar,et al.  A Critical, Objective Review of Performance Feedback , 1985 .

[10]  D K Griffiths.  Safety attitudes of management. , 1985, Ergonomics.

[11]  Burton L Streicher,et al.  Creating a Safety Culture , 2004 .

[12]  Jimmie Hinze,et al.  Supervisor-Worker Relationship Affects Injury Rate , 1979 .

[13]  D. Barlow,et al.  Single Case Experimental Designs: Strategies for Studying Behavior Change , 1976 .

[14]  Andrew Weyman,et al.  Improving Safety on Construction Sites by changing Personnel Behaviour: Phase 2.Vol. CRR 229. , 1999 .

[15]  J.-P. Leger,et al.  The international safety rating system in South African mining , 1988 .

[16]  Roger Saunders.  The Safety Audit: Designing Effective Strategies , 1993 .

[17]  Ivan T. Robertson,et al.  Improving safety on construction sites by psychologically based techniques: alternative approaches to the measurement of safety behaviour , 1993 .

[18]  David I. Blockley,et al.  Safety - Behaviour and Culture in Construction , 1995 .

[19]  Cooper.  An examination of assigned and participative goal-setting in relation to the improvement of safety in the construction industry. , 1992 .

[20]  Ivan T. Robertson,et al.  Improving safety by the modification of behaviour , 1994 .

[21]  Roy Duff,et al.  A critical review of safety initiatives using goal setting and feedback , 2007 .

[22]  Henry L. Tosi.  A Theory of Goal Setting and Task Performance , 1991 .

[23]  R. E. Miller,et al.  Alcoholism as a human factor. , 1983, Professional safety.

[24]  Jimmie Hinze,et al.  Human Aspects of Construction Safety , 1981 .

[25]  A. Glendon,et al.  Human Safety and Risk Management, Second Edition , 2006 .

[26]  H. Cohen,et al.  Safety program practices in record-holding plants , 1979 .

[27]  Jimmie Hinze,et al.  Safety: Productivity and Job Pressures , 1978 .

[28]  R. Bruce McAfee,et al.  The use of incentives/feedback to enhance work place safety: A critique of the literature. , 1989 .