Safety Behaviour and Burnout as Mediators in the Relationship between Psychosocial Safety Climate and Accident Occurrence: A Study of Construction Workers in Accra.

Abstract

There has been a growing concern for awareness creation on safety behaviour among construction companies and the need to address the social and psychological safety issues in recent times. This awareness has necessitated this inquiry which seeks to study the influence of psychosocial safety climate in predicting the rate of accident occurrence among construction workers in Accra. It also seeks to find out how burnout and safety behaviour can mediate the psychosocial safety climate and rate of accident occurrence relationship. The cross-sectional survey method was employed to gather data. Seven construction companies located within the study area (Accra) were identified and 300 workers were chosen to participate in the study. The respondents included labourers, artisans, subcontractors and consultants. The primary data were collected using the psychosocial safety climate scale, safety behaviour scale, Maslach burnout inventory and a self-report on the rate of accident occurrence by each respondent. Hierarchical multiple regression was used in analysing the hypotheses. Results indicated that psychosocial safety climate predicted the rate of accident occurrence on the job for permanent workers but not casuals, subcontractors and consultants. In addition, management communication on safety issues at work, a subtheme of psychosocial safety climate also accounted for variance in the rate of accident occurrence. The result revealed that burnout and safety behaviour did not mediate psychosocial safety climate and accident occurrence as hypothesized. The results are discussed within the framework of job-demand resource and psychosocial safety climate theories and as well implications and recommendations are made to reflect practical realities in safety practices.