The role of the safety climate in the successful implementation of safety management systems

Occupational accidents have a significant human cost and negatively affect construction companies' productivity, financial results, and public image. To control occupational accidents and injuries, construction companies develop safety management and integrate it into their policies, strategies, and procedures. Although the last decades have witnessed significant improvement in the area of construction safety, on-site injuries and accidents are considered to be unavoidable. This study aims to explore the interaction effects of safety management and the causes of safety climate on safety performance. We test the proposed model on a sample of 349 construction companies in Singapore, using partial least squares. The findings show that safety management systems have a positive effect on safety performance. Furthermore, the interactions of safety incentives, subcontractor involvement, and safety accountability with safety management systems have significant positive effects on safety performance. Therefore, in order to successfully implement safety management systems and enhance safety performance, construction companies need to provide safety incentives and connect them to all aspects of their safety management systems, involve subcontractors in safety meetings and training, and give responsibility and authority to anyone involved in construction project implementation.