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Purpose: In Australia and elsewhere, suicide rates among construction workers remain high. Construction workplaces are thus an important setting for targeted suicide prevention programs. This study aimed to compare suicide prevention literacy and help-seeking intentions among participants receiving face-to-face suicide prevention training, with those receiving face-to-face training augmented by a smartphone application., Methods: A two-arm randomised controlled trial of a smartphone suicide prevention intervention was conducted among construction workers in four Australian states (trial registration number: ACTRN12619000625178). All participants received face-to-face training and were randomised to the control condition (face-to-face only, n = 575), or MATESmobile condition (face-to-face + smartphone application, n = 509). Surveys administered at baseline and 3-month follow-up measured suicide prevention literacy and help-seeking intentions for personal/emotional problems and suicidal thoughts. A mixed-model repeated measures (MMRM) analysis included all 1084 randomised participants., Results: Outcomes did not differ significantly for suicide prevention literacy, nor help-seeking intentions from formal sources, informal sources outside the workplace, or no one (did not intend to seek help from anyone). However, relative to those in the control condition, those in the MATESmobile group showed greater increase in help-seeking intentions for emotional problems from a MATES worker/Connector (mean difference 0.54, 95% CI 0.22-0.87) and help-seeking intentions for suicidal thoughts from a workmate (mean difference 0.47, 95% CI 0.10-0.83) or MATES worker/Connector (mean difference 0.47, 95% CI 0.09-0.85)., Conclusion: Results indicate that the MATESmobile application, together with face-to-face training, is beneficial in enhancing help-seeking intentions from MATES workers/Connectors and workmates to a greater extent than face-to-face training only. While this research provides some evidence that smartphone applications may support suicide prevention training, further research is needed., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Suicide is a leading cause of death among young men. Help-seeking is known to be poor among this group, and little is known about what interventions are most successful in improving suicide prevention literacy among young men. This research aims to examine: (1) age differences in beliefs related to suicide prevention literacy and attitudes to the workplace in addressing mental health among male construction workers; (2) age differences in response to a workplace suicide prevention program. Pre- and post-training survey data of 19,917 male respondents were obtained from a workplace training program database. Linear regression models and predictive margins were computed. Mean differences in baseline beliefs, and belief change were obtained for age groups, and by occupation. Young men demonstrated poorer baseline suicide prevention literacy but were more likely to consider that mental health is a workplace health and safety issue. There was also evidence that young men employed in manual occupations had poorer suicide prevention literacy than older men, and young men employed in professional/managerial roles. The youngest respondents demonstrated the greatest intervention-associated change (higher scores indicating more favourable belief change) to People considering suicide often send out warning signs (predicted mean belief change 0.47, 95% CI 0.43, 0.50 for those aged 15⁻24 years compared to 0.38, 95% CI 0.36, 0.41 for men aged 45 years and over), and to The construction industry must do something to reduce suicide rates (predicted mean belief change 0.17, 95% CI 0.15, 0.20 for those aged 15⁻24 years compared to 0.12, 95% CI 0.10, 0.14 among men aged 45 years and over). Results indicate that while suicide prevention literacy may be lower among young men, this group show amenability to changing beliefs. There were some indications that young men have a greater propensity to regard the workplace as having a role in reducing suicide rates and addressing mental health, highlighting opportunity for workplace interventions., Competing Interests: Jorgen Gullestrup and Chris Lockwood are employed as Chief Executive Officer (Queensland & Northern Territory) and Chief Executive Officer (National) of MATES in Construction (MIC), respectively.

Suicide is a significant health problem that is known to disproportionately affect those employed in manual occupations, including construction workers and tradespeople. Universal General Awareness Training (GAT) was part of a multi-component suicide prevention program in the Australian construction industry. The program's aims were to increase awareness of mental health and suicide, reduce stigma, and encourage help-seeking and help-offering behaviours. This paper sought to examine the effectiveness of the GAT program in shifting suicide beliefs. Pre- and post-training survey data of 20,125 respondents was obtained from a database of GAT evaluation results between 2016 and 2018. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were fitted to examine belief changes, and predictive margins and their SEs were computed. Mean differences in belief change were obtained for the overall sample, and by occupation. Modest but significant favourable shifts in three of the four beliefs assessed were observed following GAT. Managers and professionals showed greater propensity to shift beliefs, and Labourers and Machinery Operators and Drivers showed least. Results suggest that GAT can successfully shift some beliefs regarding suicide and mental health at least in the short term, but highlight the need to tailor communication to vulnerable occupational groups.

Transactional and transformational safety leadership have been repeatedly found to be important for safety. Yet how transactional and transformational leadership behaviours are most effectively demonstrated can be dependent on the context and industry. Using an ethnographic approach, supervisor safety leadership was explored across eleven construction sites in Australia. The findings revealed that, within the construction site context, contingent reward, idealised influence, and management-by-exception behaviours demonstrated by supervisors closely aligned with their definitions in Full-Range Leadership Theory (FRLT). These three types of leadership behaviour reflect observation of supervisors' positive actions, which included: praising workers for good safety performance; proactively anticipating and attending to safety issues; and consistently leading-by-example with safety, even at times of significant production pressure. Other theoretically described dimensions of leadership behaviour, i.e. individual consideration, inspirational motivation, and intellectual stimulation, were not directly reflected in observed supervisors' behaviour in the way they are conceptualised in FRLT. The existence of a good supervisor-worker relationship enabled workers to comfortably raise safety issues, think creatively about how to undertake work safely, and talk to their supervisor if they were experiencing personal problems. These are motivational, intellectual, and empathetic elements of leadership, which do not directly align with the way leadership behaviours are conceptualised in mainstream FRLT. The study suggests that, in the construction worksite context, leadership behaviours may take a form that differs from theoretical ideal types and that ethnographically attained insights into supervisors' interactions with workers can contribute to understanding transformational and transactional leadership in practical terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is emerging research documenting successful adaptations made by construction organisations to minimise the health and safety impacts of COVID-19, including modified work practices, flexible work arrangements, improved hygiene practices and welfare facilities (Jones I et al i . A survey of 5070 Australian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic found that 78% of respondents experienced deteriorated mental health compared to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (Newby I et al. i [24]). Gendered impacts of COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has affected men and women differently (Wenham I et al i . [Extracted from the article]

• The development of a construction frontline H&S leadership maturity model. • Six areas emerged as important for H&S leadership at the frontline. • Construction frontline leaders are in a multi-levelled, fragmented and complex context. • A more holistic view of H&S leadership, than previous single-level studies. • Complimentary research approaches are encouraged, alongside psychological studies. Construction frontline leaders have a crucial role in ensuring safe and healthy work practices occur where risks of accidents are highest. To create a framework for understanding and monitoring where improvements can be made, a frontline health and safety (H&S) leadership maturity model was developed. The research methods involved conducting over 100 h of participant observation at four construction sites, followed by conducting four one-hour focus groups at these sites, which were all in Australia. Six key areas in which frontline leadership behaviour can have a H&S impact emerged from the data: the foreman and subcontractor supervisor relationship; the leadership styles of the foreman and supervisor; the foreman and workers relationship; the subcontractor supervisor-to-supervisor relationship; the workgroup communication; and the relationship between the frontline leaders and H&S advisors. The three-stage model is the first known construction frontline H&S leadership maturity model, which can be used as a practical tool for industry, as well as providing theoretical insights into the ways in which frontline leaders' influence H&S performance at the 'sharp end' of operations within construction projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In Australia, national harmonisation of occupational health and safety (OHS) regulation was pursued through the development of model Work Health and Safety legislation. The model Work Health and Safety Regulations specify that construction works above a threshold cost of AU$250,000 are deemed to be construction projects requiring the appointment of a principal contractor with duties relating to OHS planning and coordination. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of the monetary threshold as a suitable trigger for specific OHS planning and coordination duties. Design/methodology/approach: Interviews were conducted with 46 Australian construction industry stakeholders, including union representatives, employer groups, construction firm representatives and regulators, as well as four international construction OHS experts, to explore perceptions about the effectiveness of the monetary threshold. Two construction scenarios were also modelled to test for variability in operation of the threshold by geographical location of works and design conditions. Findings: The monetary threshold was perceived to be subject to two forms of capture problem, reflecting inadvertent capture of low risk works or failure to capture high risk works. Organisations were also reported to deliberately split contracts to avoid capture by the threshold. The cost-estimate modelling revealed inequalities and variation in the operation of the monetary threshold by geographic location and design specification. Practical implications: The analysis suggests that limitations inherent in the use of a monetary threshold to trigger duties relating to OHS planning and coordination in construction works. Opportunities to use more sophisticated risk-based mechanisms are considered. Originality/value: The study explores a fundamental challenge of risk-based OHS regulation, i.e., how to ensure that workers' health and safety are adequately protected without creating an unnecessarily high regulatory burden. The research provides evidence that using a monetary value as a proxy measure for OHS risk in construction projects may be problematic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a critical review of the use of safety performance indicators in the construction industry. The authors consider the strengths, limitations and managerial consequences associated with commonly used indicators.Design/methodology/approach The authors combine two separate data sets in this critical review. These include 32 semi-structured interviews with construction industry representatives involved in the collection and reporting of safety indicators, as well as a multi-level safety climate survey that was conducted at 12 construction sites across Australia.Findings The analysis provides new evidence that, in their current use, commonly used H&S indicators are subject to manipulation and misinterpretation. Their usefulness as tools to support safety management activities in construction projects and organisations needs to be understood in the context of their limitations. In particular, safety indicators do not reflect the full set of factors that affect workplace safety and there will always be disagreement about what should be counted and how.Originality/value As a result of the substantial shortcomings of safety indicators, great care needs to be taken when using them to determine or evaluate organisational safety policy and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction workers suffer poor mental and physical health. To address this, organizations have implemented behavioural health promotion programmes. However, targeting workers’ lifestyle behaviour without addressing relevant environmental factors is unlikely to produce significant or sustained improvement. An ecological perspective offers a different way of understanding the determinants of health, reflecting the interplay of factors at multiple levels and the dynamic, reciprocal and non-linear relationships between them. Qualitative data collected during focus groups and in interviews with workers and managers were analysed to explore factors impacting the effectiveness of a health promotion programme implemented at two work sites in Queensland, Australia. A qualitative causal loop diagram identifying determinants of construction workers’ health behaviour was developed. The findings suggest that the adoption of healthy behaviours is influenced by factors operating at and between individual, family, workplace and industry levels. These factors suggest key leverage points that can be addressed in the design of future health promotion interventions for the construction industry. The research provides qualitative evidence of the need to consider workers’ health in a holistic way and develop multi-level strategies to produce improved health behaviour and outcomes in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we advance the question of how creativity is emerging in new virtual work configurations. We take two steps: first we draw on theoretical perspectives from phenomenological anthropology to engage an understanding of creativity as emerging through a relationship between the processual concepts of improvisation and knowing; second, we develop a focus on the digital materiality of virtual labour. To examine and draw together these themes we focus on a novel example of the use of digital technologies for improving worker safety and health in the construction industry by recognising how safety is constituted through worker creativity. We argue, on the basis of this, for a view of creativity as constituted through improvisation and knowing, and that invokes the possibility of thinking about virtual elements of work as part of the ongoing processes of work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing recognition that community plays a role in an individual's work-life experience. While measures of work and family role salience have been developed and applied in the work-life literature, no measure of community role salience had been developed. This has served to limit our understanding of community role salience and how it influences work-life experience. The research aimed to address this gap by developing a new measure for community role salience and community role importance, with a view to understanding the role community plays in shaping an individual's work-life experience. Surveys were administered to 59 participants from the construction sector. The new measure of role salience shows considerable promise as a reliable instrument. The structure and nature of work undertaken in the construction industry is different from that in many other industries, therefore the results may not be generalisable to other industries. However, it is considered that the instruments themselves can be applied in different contexts to explore the role community plays in shaping an individual's work-life experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legislation requires employers to provide health and safety (H&S) training to workers and communicate safety rules, policies and procedures to them in a way they understand. As the construction industry has an increasingly multicultural and multilingual workforce, conventional written and verbal safety communication is of limited effectiveness. CodeSafe Solutions, has developed an innovative method of communicating H&S information to field-based workers using digital media. The potential of the system was explored and two organizations in the Australian construction industry were used. Qualitative data from in-depth interviews of safety managers and workers involved in system implementation and quantitative data such as incident reports and video usage were analysed. Managers perceived the CodeSafe system to be beneficial and well received by workers. In one organization, the introduction of the CodeSafe system coincided with a reduction in injury rates. However, causal inferences about the impact of the system cannot be made. Workers involved in making the films believed films would be an effective communication tool. However, barriers to implementation of the technology include workers’ reluctance to use personal smart phones, limited internet connectivity, and organizational and national regulations on mobile phone use on construction sites. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Construction health and safety (H&S) is usually managed using a top-down approach of regulating workers’ behaviour through the implementation and enforcement of prescriptive rules and procedures. This management approach privileges technical knowledge over knowledge based on workers’ tacit and informal ways of knowing about H&S. The aim is to investigate the potential for participatory video to: (1) identify areas in which formal policies and procedures do not reflect H&S as practised by workers; (2) encourage creative thinking and elicit workers’ ideas for H&S improvements; and (3) provide an effective mechanism for capturing and sharing tacit H&S knowledge in construction organizations. Interviews were conducted in two case study organizations (CSOs) in the Australian construction industry. The results suggest reflexive participatory video enabled workers and managers to view their work practices from a different perspective. Workers identified new hazards, reflected about the practical difficulties in performing work in accordance with documented procedures and reframed their work practices and developed safer ways of working. Workers described how the participatory video capturing the way they work enabled them to have more meaningful input into H&S decision-making than they had previously experienced. Workers also expressed a strong preference for receiving H&S information in a visual format and commented that video was better suited to communicating H&S ‘know how’ than written documents. The research is significant in providing initial evidence that participatory video has the potential to improve H&S in construction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Work health and safety (WHS) on construction sites can be influenced by decisions made upstream from the construction stage. The effectiveness of WHS risk management relies on decision makers' ability to decide appropriate strategies to mitigate/control risks. However, it is unclear whether upstream decision makers share similar WHS risk perceptions with those who undertake the construction work. This study used Q methodology to explore WHS risk perceptions of architects, engineers, construction managers, and WHS professionals. Photographs depicting different technologies/methods were used to capture professionals' WHS risk judgments. Data were analyzed to identify the within-group and between-group similarity/difference in professionals' WHS risk perceptions. The data-analysis result indicates the coexistence of within-group difference and similarity, as well as between-group difference and similarity in WHS risk perceptions. The research contributes to the body of knowledge by showing that WHS risk is subjective in nature and that social, psychological, and technical factors interact to shape subjective risk judgments. The research finding challenges traditional risk-management thinking, which assumes risk is objective and easily quantifiable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare the quality of work-life experiences of workers in construction firms of differing sizes and explored the work conditions and circumstances that impact upon the work-life experiences of workers in small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Australian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected in two stages. First, data from a sub-set of construction industry workers were extracted from a large scale survey of workers in Victoria, Australia (the VicWAL survey). The survey measured work-life interference using the Australian Work and Life Index (AWALI). Next a subset of survey respondents was identified and interviewed to gain more detailed explanatory information and insight into work-life experiences. Findings – The survey results indicated that respondents who reported working for a construction firm with between 16 and 99 employees reported significantly higher AWALI scores (indicating high work-life interference) than workers in organisations employing 15 or less or more than 100 workers. The follow-up interviews revealed that workers in small construction organisations were managed directly and personally by the business owner/manager and able to access informal work-life supports that were provided on an “as needs” basis. In comparison workers in medium-sized firms perceived higher levels of work pressure and an expectation that work would be prioritised over family life. Research limitations/implications – The research shows that the findings of work-life balance research undertaken in large construction organisations cannot be generalised to SMEs. Organisation size should also be treated as an important variable in work-life balance research in construction. Practical implications – The research suggests that a better understanding of how workers in SME construction firms experience work-life balance is important in the design and development of work-life balance programs. In particular the challenges faced by workers as companies grow from SMEs require careful consideration and management. Originality/value – Previous research has focused on the work-life balance experiences of employees in large construction firms. Little was previously known about the experiences of workers in SME construction firms. The research provides new insight into the work-life experiences of construction workers in organisations of varying sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between the timing with which decisions are made about how to control work health and safety (WHS) risks in construction project (i.e. either pre- or post-construction) and the quality of risk control outcomes. Design/methodology/approach -- Data were collected from 23 construction projects in Australia and the USA. Totally, 43 features of work were identified for analysis and decision making in relation to these features of work was mapped across the life of the projects. The quality of risk control outcomes was assessed using a classification system based on the "hierarchy of control". Within this hierarchy, technological forms of control are preferable to behavioural forms of controls. Findings -- The results indicate that risk control outcomes were significantly better in the Australian compared with the US cases. The results also reveal a significant relationship between the quality of risk controls and the timing of risk control selection decisions. The greater the proportion of risk controls selected during the pre-construction stages of a project, the better the risk control outcomes. Research limitations/implications -- The results provide preliminary evidence that technological risk controls are more likely to be implemented if WHS risks are considered and controls are selected in the planning and design stages of construction projects. Practical implications -- The research highlights the need for WHS risk to be integrated into decision making early in the life of construction projects. Originality/value -- Previous research has linked accidents to design. However, the retrospective nature of these studies has not permitted an analysis of the effectiveness of integrating WHS into pre-construction decision making. Prospective studies have been lacking. This research provides empirical evidence in support of the relationship between early consideration of WHS and risk control effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photographic Q-methodology was used to explore construction professionals’ mental models of occupational health and safety (OHS). Sixty Australian construction professionals participated in the research, including 15 architects, 15 engineers, 15 constructors and 15 OHS professionals. Participants were asked to sort photographs depicting different building systems into a grid based upon their judgement of the likelihood of accidental injury resulting from the construction of each of the building systems depicted. Responses ranged from Rare (–2) to Almost certain (+2). Sorting patterns relating to eight photographs of different façade systems were analysed using Q factor analysis. Three distinct sorting pattern types were identified in the data, representing clusters of participants whose sorting patterns were similar. These sorting pattern types cut across occupational/professional groups. Interpretation of the factors revealed substantial differences between the OHS judgements made by participants in the three clusters. Qualitative explanatory information revealed participants in the three clusters used different attributes when considering the likelihood of accidental injury. These attributes shaped their sorting patterns. The results suggest shared mental models (SMMs) are unlikely to exist in construction project teams, as each individual uses their own frame of reference to understand OHS. Opportunities exist to understand these different frames of reference and create more consistent team mental models of OHS. However, incorporating a diversity of viewpoints into project decision-making is recommended in order to produce effective decision-making in the choice or specification of building systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction workers are a high risk group for poor health and occupational disability. A participatory action research (PAR) project was undertaken at construction sites in Queensland, Australia. Using the PAR framework, a needs-based health promotion planning model was implemented. Health promotion measures were designed to address the ‘SNAPO’ health risk factors (i.e. smoking, nutrition, alcohol consumption, insufficient physical exercise and overweight/obesity). At the largest site participating in the research, preliminary health assessments revealed levels of physical health that were comparable with those of the general Australian population. The construction workers’ mental health was poorer than that of the general Australian population. A consultation workshop with a representative group of workers at the site identified healthy eating, smoking cessation and physical exercise as priority areas for intervention. Several health promotion measures addressing these issues were implemented, including a quit smoking programme, a ‘healthy options’ menu in the site canteen, healthy eating and cooking workshops and onsite yoga and stretching sessions. A subset of workers at the site reported their health behaviour in weekly ‘logs’. The log data revealed fluctuations in health behaviour over a 14-week period. Evaluation interviews and a focus group revealed environmental impediments to the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviours. Workers identified the need to provide a work environment that is supportive of healthy behaviour as critical to the effectiveness of specific health promotion measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demands and resources are central to work–life fit. However, they are often not clearly defined within the work–life literature, lack consistency and/or are ambiguous or too narrowly defined. Furthermore, there has been more emphasis on the work and family domains, while the community domain has often been excluded. In seeking to better understand the work–life experience of individuals, interviews were held with nine construction workers to review and verify a full set of specific demands and resources originating in the work, family and community domains in a specific Australian industry. There was evidence of an additional domain of work–life strain relating to personal activities. A total of 112 demands and resources were identified in the research. The structure and nature of work undertaken in the construction industry is different from that in many other industries, therefore the demands and resources identified through the study may not be generalizable to other industries. However, the methodological approach may be applied in other industries to explore industry-specific demands and resources across the work, home, community and personal domains. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – The discrimination/harassment experiences of survey respondents in different construction professional groups in South Africa is compared, and the relationship between harassment/discrimination and perceived work stress is examined. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was administered and 626 responses (ca. 6.5 per cent of target population) received. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the response data. Findings – Harassment and discrimination on ethnic grounds are experienced in all of the South African construction professions included in the survey. Respondents also indicated that they felt underpaid and that their job security was adversely affected by their ethnicity. Sexual harassment and gender-based harassment and discrimination were more frequently reported by architects than by other professionals. Harassment and discrimination were found to correlate with higher perceived levels of work stress. Research limitations/implications – Harassment and discrimination, on ethnic and on gender-based grounds, constitute a significant stressor for many construction professionals in South Africa, particularly among architects. Practical implications – Strategies designed to address and counter harassment/discrimination in the South African construction industry should be implemented or reinforced as part of broader stress management programmes. Employers have a major role to play in this, but unions and professional associations should also take part. Originality value – Previous research into work stress has focused on the experiences of workers in developed countries. The paper provides insight into the problem of harassment and discrimination in the unique situation of post-apartheid South Africa. It supports the link between harassment and discrimination and perceived levels of personal stress in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparison of the experiences of employees working in construction for a public sector organization and a private sector company was undertaken. Similarities and differences in work-family balance between these sectors have not previously been explored. A quantitative approach, utilizing online questionnaires, assessed employees' perceptions, and work-family practices, including proactively blending work and family demands with flexible hours and positive organizational and supervisor support, were examined. Independent -tests compared the public sector and private sector employees' responses. Private sector employees reported higher levels of work interference with family life. They worked longer hours, had significantly less work-related flexibility, greater work-family conflict, and more difficulty managing family responsibilities than public sector employees. Recommendations are made from practices identified within the public sector to improve private sector employees' ability to balance work and family demands. In addition, rotation of staff between the public and private sector should be investigated to improve work-family balance and advance cultural change within the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Drawing on the findings of coronial investigations, this research aimed to investigate the circumstances and causes of fatal incidents involving plant in the Australian construction industry. The analysis sought to provide greater insight into how and why fatal incidents occur and to inform recommendations for the prevention of fatal incidents involving plant. Design/methodology/approach – Fatal incidents involving plant were identified from the National Coronial Information System. In each case, the decedent was a construction worker and the incident occurred at a construction worksite. A systemic incident causation model developed by Loughborough University informed the identification of originating influences, shaping factors and immediate circumstances in each incident. Findings – Most of the incidents involved excavators, trucks and cranes, and different classifications of plant were associated with different types of incident. The most common incident types involved people being run over by moving plant or struck by a moving object. Site layout and unsafe actions were the most commonly identified immediate circumstances. Shaping factors included site constraints and the design of plant, particularly visibility issues relating to "blind spots". Originating influences included the design of the permanent work and construction process. Research limitations/implications – The research highlights the usefulness of systemic incident causation models, such as the "Loughborough Model", in the analysis of the causes of fatal incidents involving plant in the construction industry. Practical implications – The results indicate that plant-related fatalities occur as a result of a complex interplay of different causes, some of which are "upstream" of the construction work. The use of innovative new site planning methods and active monitoring technologies to reduce the risk of collisions between people and plant should be considered. Originality/value – The analysis provides a more detailed qualitative analysis of the causes of fatal incidents involving excavators than would be possible using national compensation data, which restricts analysis to a classification of the mechanism and agency of injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational stress affects the health and wellbeing of people who work. Using an online survey, opinions were sought from architects, civil engineers, quantity surveyors, and project and construction managers in South Africa. The contribution of this work lies in its examination of the work stress experienced by construction professionals in a developing country characterized by economic hardship and social problems, such as inequality and crime. Most respondents experience high levels of stress at work. Architects, more than engineers, quantity surveyors, and project and construction managers; and female, more than male professionals feel stressed. The extent to which professionals are able to control their job situations does not appear to have a major influence on stress. Tight deadlines and long working hours probably play a bigger role. All the professions would appreciate having more time to do a better job. Survey respondents do not expect managers and colleagues to consistently make their work easier, but do believe that they can be relied on in times of difficulty. Appropriate stress management should be implemented within the construction industry, and further research undertaken to explore the relationships between stress and type of work undertaken, and the effectiveness of stress management procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The research aims to explore the interaction between design decisions that reduce occupational health and safety (OHS) risk in the operation stage of a facility's life cycle and the OHS experiences of workers in the construction stage. Design/methodology/approach -- Data was collected from three construction projects in Australia. Design decisions were examined to understand the reasons they were made and the impact that they had on OHS in the construction and operation stages. Findings -- The case examples reveal that design decisions made to reduce OHS risk during the operation of a facility can introduce new hazards in the construction stage. These decisions are often influenced by stakeholders external to the project itself. Research limitations/implications -- The results provide preliminary evidence of challenges inherent in designing for OHS across the lifecycle of a facility. Further research is needed to identify and evaluate methods by which risk reduction across all stages of a facility's life cycle can be optimised. Practical implications -- The research highlights the need to manage tensions between designing for safe construction and operation of a facility. Originality/value -- Previous research assumes design decisions that reduce OHS risk in one stage of a facility's life cycle automatically translate to a net risk reduction across the life cycle. The research highlights the need to consider the implications of PtD decision-making focused on one stage of the facility's life cycle for OHS outcomes in other stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This research aims to explore the relationship between work time demands, work time control and supervisor support in the Australian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was undertaken with waged and salaried construction workers in two construction organizations (n=261). Findings – Work time demands were positively correlated with time- and strain-based work interference with family life (WIF) but inversely correlated with time- and strain-based family interference with work (FIW). Work-family enrichment was inversely correlated with work time demands and positively correlated with both work time control and social support from one's supervisor. Respondents with high work time demands and low work time control (or low supervisor support) reported the highest levels of time- and strain-based WIF. The lowest levels of WIF were reported by respondents in low work time demands and high work time control (or high supervisor support) jobs classifications. However, jobs high in both work time demands and work time control reported the highest levels of work-to-family enrichment. Research limitations/implications – The results suggest that work-family conflict and work-family enrichment should be treated as two distinct concepts in work-family research and that the job demands-control theory is helpful in explaining work-family conflict but that alternative theories are needed to explain positive work-family interactions. Practical implications – The practical implication of the research is that reducing work time demands may be helpful in reducing work-family conflict but that the provision of work domain resources is probably required to enable positive work-family interactions. Originality/value – Previous work-family research has focused on job demands and resources separately, while the job strain literature has focused on the impact of job demands and the key resources of social support. The originality of this research is that it examines the extent to which different configurations of job demand and resource can explain experiences at the work-family interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing upon an empirical analysis of the design and construction of a food processing facility, a theoretical understanding of the impact of design decision-making on the occupational health and safety (OHS) of construction workers is developed. It is argued that current policy and legislative approaches to Construction Hazard Prevention through Design (CHPtD) are inherently limited because they do not adequately reflect the socio-material complexity of decision-making in construction design. Specifically, the simplistic attribution of responsibility to a single socio-technical actor, ‘the designer’, does not reflect the multiple and disparate influences that impact upon OHS outcomes. Nor do existing CHPtD policy frameworks, management processes and tools recognize the manner in which the interactions and associations between relevant project stakeholders and various non-human artefacts shape (and are also influenced by) the evolution of design decisions. Drawing on actor-network theory (ANT) and using embedded units within a case study approach, the interactions between human actors and non-human artefacts are explored in relation to the design of four components of the food processing facility. The way in which design decisions unfolded and shaped OHS experiences during the construction stage of the project is revealed. The research highlights limitations inherent in current approaches to the management of CHPtD and the need to develop a more robust theoretically based approach to integrating OHS considerations into construction design practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – The paper's aim is to document a survey of Australian construction workers that was conducted to examine whether conditions of within-group homogeneity and between-group heterogeneity in perceptions of coworkers' safety response were satisfied. The factor structure of coworkers' safety response is to be explored and the relationship between workgroup members' perceptions of their coworkers' safety response and the workgroups' injury rate is to be examined in three organizations. Design/methodology/approach – A safety climate survey was conducted within three organizations. Retrospective and prospective workgroup injury data were collected from company records. The factor structure of coworkers' safety response was analysed using principal components analysis (PCA). Within-group homogeneity and between-group heterogeneity were examined using inter-rater agreement and analyses of variance respectively. Bivariate correlations were used to explore linkages between perceptions of coworkers' safety response and workgroup injury rates. Findings – Two distinct factors were indicated by the PCA were labeled "Coworkers' actual safety response" and "Coworkers' ideal safety response". "Coworkers' actual safety response" demonstrated significant between-group variance and within-group consensus in two of the three organizations. No significant between-group variation was found for "Coworkers' ideal safety response'. Neither aspect of coworkers' safety response was consistently significantly correlated with workgroup injury rate. Research limitations/implications – Further research should examine the relationship between coworkers' safety response and workgroup safety performance using measures other than reportable injury rates. Practical implications – The confirmation that "Coworkers' actual safety response" is a facet of group safety climate suggests that interventions to develop coworkers' support for safety within workgroups may be helpful. In particular, strategies to speed up the process of assimilation into workgroups through induction and teambuilding exercises should be evaluated. Originality/value – The study builds on previous research examining group safety climate in construction, providing further evidence that coworkers' safety response items should be included along with supervisors' safety response items in the measurement of group safety climate. The findings suggest important directions for future empirical evaluation of the impact of coworkers' response on workgroup safety climate and performance in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible work practices spreading work times across the entire week have reduced the time to engage in leisure activities and for some have compounded the problem of a lack of defined break between work weeks. This study examines time spent outside of the workplace through a multiple case study of working time and leisure in the construction industry. A framework of synchronous leisure is used to examine the interplay of work and non-work arrangements. The effects of changing work arrangements to deliver a longer break between working weeks and the consequent impact on leisure activities are analysed. Interviews and focus groups across four construction sites revealed that while leisure is important to relieve fatigue and overwork, a work schedule allowing a long break between working weeks, specifically on a weekend, enables workers to achieve synchronous time, particularly with family, and improves work-life balance satisfaction. It was found that a well-defined break across a weekend also offers the opportunity to synchronize schedules with others to spend time away on short breaks. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – The construction industry in Australia is characterised by a long work-hours culture, with conditions that make it difficult for staff to balance their work and non-work lives. The objective of this paper is to measure the success of a work-place intervention designed to improve work-life balance (WLB) in an alliance project in the construction industry, and the role the project manager plays in this success. Design/methodology/approach – The paper focuses on an alliance case study. Interviews were conducted at two points in time, several months apart, after the interventions were implemented. Findings – Results showed that staff on the whole were more satisfied with their work experience after the interventions, and indicated the important role that managers' attitudes and behaviours played. Originality/value – Managerial support for work-life initiatives is a critical element in achieving WLB and satisfaction with working arrangements. The fact that the manager "talked the talk and walked the walk" was a major contributing success factor, which has not previously been demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multidimensional work-family conflict (WFC) scale was tested using a sample of 169 workers in the Australian construction industry. The construction sample showed higher mean scores for time-based, strain-based, and behavior-based work-interference with family (WIF) than scores reported in international studies that have used the multidimensional scale. Waged construction workers, who work on-site in direct construction activity, reported higher levels of time-based and strain-based WIF than salaried workers, who work predominantly in office-based roles. Mean levels of family-interference with work (FIW) in the construction sample were generally comparable to levels reported in previous research. A principal components analysis revealed four clear dimensions of WFC. These dimensions were significantly correlated with other variables of theoretical relevance indicating acceptable criterion validity. The experience of WIF varied by workers' employment situation, sex, and work location, while the experience of FIW varied by workers' age. The results suggest that the use of global measures of WFC might mask important differences in construction workers' experiences at the work-family interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A diary data collection method was used to collect data from project-based construction workers in a large civil engineering construction project in Melbourne, Australia. Data capturing the number of hours worked, satisfaction with work-life balance and capacity to complete required tasks at work and at home were collected for 21 consecutive weeks. A strong correlation was found between hours worked each week and participants' work-life experiences. Data were subjected to time series modelling procedures and weekly work hours were found to significantly predict participants' capacity to complete tasks at work and at home, but not their satisfaction with work-life balance. The impact of work leading up to a major project milestone was found to increase the predictive capacity of the time series models, indicating that project events have a significant impact upon the work-life experiences of project-based workers. The period of intense work prior to the milestone (the opening of a new ramp on to an operating freeway) contributed significantly to an immediate reduction in capacity to complete tasks at home. Further time series modelling revealed that recovery opportunities associated with workers taking a short, temporary break from work can also contribute to improved work-life balance. It is proposed that construction organizations use the naturally fluctuating workloads implicit in project work to 'build' recovery opportunities into project schedules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A safety climate survey was conducted in three Australian construction industry organizations. Workers' perceptions of their supervisors' safety response (SSR) and co-workers' safety response (CSR) were measured as facets of group safety climate. A two-dimensional schema was developed based upon the strength and the level of group safety climate. The resulting framework was used to position the 40 workgroups included in the sample within one of four group safety climate types. A non-parametric Kruskal Wallis test revealed that workgroups in which members share a strong consensus that co-workers should treat safety as a priority had a significantly lower injury frequency rate than other workgroups in the sample. While no significant differences between the injury frequency rates of workgroups positioned in the four safety climate types were found for the other facets of group safety climate, workgroups with strong and high (i.e. strongly supportive) safety climates related to supervisors' safety expectations and co-workers' actual safety behaviour reported injury frequency rates on average two-thirds the magnitude of the remaining workgroups in the sample. Although limited by the reliance on retrospective and insensitive measurement for the dependent variable (i.e. injury frequency rates), the research provides preliminary evidence for the importance of considering both the strength and level of group safety climates in the construction industry. Future research should seek to replicate and extend this research by examining the antecedents of group safety climate strength and level in the construction context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety climate can benefit contractors, specialty contractors, and owners of industries by providing them with the knowledge of attitudes and perceptions that can help to consistently achieve better safety performance. The objective of this research was to determine safety climate that would enhance safety culture and positively impact perceived safety performance on construction projects. A safety climate questionnaire survey was conducted on the construction sites of a leading construction company and its subcontractors in Hong Kong. Approximately, 1,500 hard copy questionnaires were distributed and the response rate was excellent, resulting in 1,120 valid questionnaires being collected from 22 construction projects. By means of factor analysis, two underlying safety climate factors were extracted, accounting for 43.9% of the total variance. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that these climate factors, “management commitment and employee involvement” and “inappropriate safety procedure and work practices” were significant predictors of workers’ perceptions of safety performance. The findings indicated that the relationship between perceived safety performance and “inappropriate safety procedure and work practices” was inversely correlated. The results suggest that safety climate can be used as an effective measure of assessing and improving site safety for projects under construction. The findings of this study and the methodology might be useful for research at other construction sites in other regions and countries. This work provides useful information for project managers and safety practitioners who desire to improve safety climate and safety performance on construction sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore employees' perceptions of work-life balance (WLB) in an Australian infrastructure construction project, using semi-structured focus groups. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 43 employees participated in the focus groups, representing 50 per cent of the project workforce at the time. Focus groups explored employees' experiences of WLB during the planning and design stage of the project, as well as their expectations for the management of WLB during the construction phase. Findings – Project culture, project resourcing and the schedule demands of the construction stage of the project were identified as barriers for WLB, while participants believed that the "project alliance" delivery model, flexibility of working hours and the project management team's support for WLB would facilitate WLB in the project. Research limitations/implications – Data were collected from one case study project which utilised an alliance delivery model. Therefore, the results cannot be generalised to the construction industry as a whole or to construction projects utilising an alliance delivery model. Data were collected from professional and white collar workers therefore the results cannot be generalised to blue collar workers. The research findings suggest new directions for future research in WLB related to project settings. Practical implications – The study will provide project managers with a better understanding of work-life experiences of project teams and highlight the barriers and facilitating factors for WLB. Originality/value – WLB has been widely investigated in static work settings, however it is not well understood how research findings translate to project settings as little research has been conducted in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]