Safety communication patterns in small work groups : a pilot study using social network analysis

Xiao-Hua Jin, Ryan Villari-Kohlert, Chunlu Liu, Rebecca Yang, Peng Wu

Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference PaperConference Paperpeer-review

Abstract

![CDATA[As a project based industry, construction is portrayed through the short term and transitory nature of the industry. This is one of the factors that have been correlated to the poor safety performance of the construction industry. An essential part of safety performance, however, is the effective safety communication between all parties on construction projects. The construction industry is highly regulated due to its high incidence of work-place accidents. This is especially true of smaller building companies/enterprises where the burden of compliance to safety regulations is most onerous. The majority of current research in this topic area has focused on identifying the high risk components or the causes of increased risks. The literature on safety communication network patterns and its relation to safety performance is nevertheless minimal. Thus, this study takes the opportunity to explore the safety communication issue by analyzing the communications patterns in small workgroups. In a pilot study, through surveys with construction crews that are contributing to active construction projects in Sydney, Australia, patterns of safety communications were identified using social network analysis (SNA). The findings, though preliminary, has identified safety communication network patterns under formal communications and toolbox talks may determine a small group’s safety performance.]]
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationDigital Proceedings of the 32nd CIB W78 Conference 2015, 27th-29th October 2015, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
PublisherEindhoven University of Technology
Pages364-373
Number of pages10
Publication statusPublished - 2015
EventInternational Conference on IT in Construction -
Duration: 27 Oct 2015 → …

Conference

ConferenceInternational Conference on IT in Construction
Period27/10/15 → …

Keywords

  • construction projects
  • social networks
  • communication
  • safety
  • Australia

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