Organizational Safety Commitment of Top U.S. Construction Firms

Construction site safety continues to be a growing concern in construction industry. Despite the advancement in technology and government-mandated safety training, the annual injuries and fatalities of the construction industry still rank high. The complexity of construction work requires strong safety commitment from top management. Such commitment should not only be committed in theory, but also demonstrated by an aggressive implementation of safety practices. This study was conducted to investigate the organizational safety commitment of top U.S. contracting rms. Findings suggest that the top management executives of participating organizations have established organizational culture in which safety is a high priority. These chief executives hold their middle managers responsible for the safety of their subordinates. To further demonstrate their commitment to safety, many chief executives often attend safety meetings and functions with the employees. It was further revealed that in an organizational structure in which safety is a high priority, established achievable safety objectives are monitored at all levels of the organization. Likewise, line managers are directly held accountable for the safety of their subordinates. The study concluded with implications for construction safety education as well as recommendations for further study.