Leadership and Work pressure as predictors of Health and Safety (H&S) Behaviour in the South African Construction Industry

Abstract

The investigation of health and safety (H&S) climate has received a lot of research attention in the field of occupational health and safety (OHS). The importance of two H&S dimensions that contribute to the H&S climate were studied. The effect of leadership, top management commitment to health and safety (H&S) and supervisor H&S leadership, and work pressure were examined as predictors of H&S behaviour amongst construction workers in South Africa. A descriptive design was used and a cross-sectional self-administered survey questionnaire was completed by 282 construction workers. The scales used were found to be reliable and valid. The results indicate the importance of considering the interaction between the two aspects of leadership in explaining H&S behaviour.

Keywords: safety behaviour; construction; leadership; work pressure