Workshop report defines climate vs. culture in construction safety

Washington – "Safety climate” is not the same as safety culture and is an important measurement for determining a construction project’s state of safety, according to a new report from NIOSH and the Center for Construction Research and Training (also known as CPWR).

Released in April, the report details a workshop, which took place in June 2013 and explored how to better understand safety culture and its effect on construction worker safety and health. Workshop participants determined that “safety culture,” which is inherent to an organization, needed a separate definition from “safety climate,” which is time- and project-specific.

Factors identified as the “most critical” safety climate indicators include supervisory leadership, communication and training.

The report lists several interventions that could improve safety climate factors, such as leading by example, adequate safety budget and mentoring. However, it warns that these interventions could be hindered by barriers such as scheduling problems, lack of time and project-delivery constraints.