Bhimjee, Raksha Vryjlall2018-06-202018-06-202017Bhimjee, Raksha Vryjlall, (2017) Workers' perceptions of the safety climate in the construction industry, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, https://hdl.handle.net/10539/24654https://hdl.handle.net/10539/24654A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree: Master of Science in NursingBackground The high rate of fatalities and injuries in the construction industry globally, requires that we focus away from the lagging indicators towards the leading indicators of safety and health. By giving attention to human factors, organisations can identify and isolate potential hazards or causes of risky behaviour before they lead to accidents or illness. One method of doing this would be to measure ‘leading’ indicators of safety such as the safety climate. Purpose This study describes the site workers’ perceptions of the safety climate at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital construction site in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. Research method A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional survey design using the Nordic Occupational Safety Climate Questionnaire was used to elicit the workers’ perceptions of the safety climate. The questionnaire is organised into 7 safety climate dimensions. The number of respondents totalled 108 (51.7% response rate). Data obtained from each of the 7 dimensions, was analysed using the statistical package STATA version 14. Results The results revealed that 72.2% of the workers rated managements’ safety priority and ability as low. 57.4% of the workers rated peer safety communication, learning and trust in co-workers as low. 39.8% of the respondents had a positive perception regarding the site’s safety systems. Overall, the workers perception of the safety climate at the Nelson Mandela Children’s hospital construction site was fairly low with need for improvement. Conclusion The results and outcome of the study can be used to guide management to establish a positive safety climate and afford the opportunity to the workers to have a platform to reflect on their workplace safety motivations and choices. Key concepts: Safety climate, Perceptions, Construction industry, Site workersOnline resource (92 leaves)enConstruction industry--Safety measuresBuilding--Safety measuresThesis