Assessing dimensions of resilient safety culture in construction firms in Abuja

Abstract

A resilient safety culture e involves continuous improvements in safety performance and the ability to foresee and anticipate the changing nature of safety risks in complex sociotechnical systems. This study aims to assess the dimensions of resilient safety culture (RSC) in Nigerian construction firms. A total of 132 questionnaires were distributed to medium and large construction firms within Abuja metropolis. The study found that construction firms in the area studied have implemented eight ( 8) safety practices each for psychological resilience and behavioural resilience. The implementation of these safety practices showcases the construction firms’ commitment to enhancing both the mental well well-being of employees and the behavioural aspects that contribute to overall safety. Additionally, nine ( 9) safety practices have been implemented for managerial resilience, emphasising the critical role of top management in fostering a resilient safety culture. These findings collectively suggest that the construction firms are actively striving  to foster a resilient safety culture throughout their organisations. Based on these findings, the study recommends that construction firms can define, assess, and enhance their RSC by implementimplementing psychological, behavioural and managerial resilience framework . The assessment of these three dimensions suggests that maintaining consistently high safety performance in  construction firms requires addressing not only project-specific hazards but also unexpected events, such as human error and unforeseen hazardous situations. The outcomes of this research contribute to  construction safety management knowledge by advancing a theoretical foundation and empirical basis for defining and assessing resilient safety culture within the construction firms.