Leadership influence on construction site workers’ health and safety behaviour

Abstract: Leadership in construction health and safety (H&S) management has drawn great attention from scholars in the western world. This paper reviews existing literature on the role of project leaders in H&S management programmes and how their active involvement/ participation, from the inception of projects, could reduce the numbers of injuries and at-risk behaviors among workers. A review of existing literature was conducted from Google, ASCE and Science Direct. Findings revealed that positive H&S behaviour of workers could be influenced by: a) incorporation of H&S into the work programme by the project manager; b) facilitation of financial provisions for H&S into the contract documents by quantity surveyors; c) demonstration of commitment and visible H&S leadership towards workers‘ H&S by contracting firms at all levels of management; and d) key projects leaders‘ H&S leadership and behaviour. Client H&S visible leadership manifests through appointment of competent design team, allocation of adequate financial resources for H&S, and designing H&S into construction projects at the early design stage. These findings will increase awareness on the importance of leadership and commitment in improving H&S behaviour of construction workers on sites. The study recommends that key leaders on a project should demonstrate visible leadership and commitment towards workers‘ H&S. Keywords: construction, health and safety, leadership, project leaders, worker behaviour