Literature review : improving health and safety in the construction industry through cultural transformation

Abstract: The construction industry require a different approach to their management of health and safety in the workplace from the functional hierarchical line management approaches adopted to connecting with employees on floor level who are executing projects. The study suggests a cultural transformation approach in creating safety as a value, rather than a priority. Organisations that successfully create high performing committed employees who share the same culture and values that aligned to improving safety performance and reducing potential workplace disasters. Although no universal definition of corporate culture exists, it appears to reflect shared behaviours, beliefs, attitudes, values, organisational goals, functions and procedures. Organisational or corporate culture seems to be the only glue that holds together common values of improving the health and safety performance. Leaders think about the future all the time, they are also responsible constructing a culture in the workplace that promotes safer workplaces and influencing employees to work safer. These principles and characteristics of effective leadership reflect contemporary beliefs and behaviors based on the fact that today’s leaders recognise the need to define a vision and mission for success, build trust, share power in effective ways, develop positive relationships, lead by serving first, and build a sense of community within the organisations they support. The ultimate benefit for the employee is that they are actively engaged, engerised, confident about their organisation’s health and safety strategy, changes that are occurring, rather than confused and resigned. Employees know what they are supposed to be doing and how that relates to the tasks to that of their colleagues