Work. 2026 Mar 10:10519815261428096. doi: 10.1177/10519815261428096. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BackgroundThe construction industry internationally and in Taiwan experiences high rates of injury, and fatalities. Worker behaviour is frequently associated with construction site accidents. The paper examines evidence on the effectiveness of a safety culture focus in improving safety behaviour on Taiwanese construction sites.ObjectiveTaking a public health approach, the research systematically evaluates safety culture focused initiatives to enhance construction site safety in Taiwan, with a particular focus on SMEs, given their overrepresentation in accident statistics.MethodsInformation from a systematic review of safety culture research in construction published between 2014 and 2024, combined with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) Evidence to Decision (EtD) process, was used to assess the evidence supporting safety culture improvements. The combination of methods provides a systematic framework with a novel perspective on safety culture initiatives to improve safety behaviour in construction.ResultsEvidence from 99 articles shows that emphasising safety climate can improve construction workers’ safety behaviour. Nonetheless, key questions around resourcing, acceptability, and feasibility remain, particularly for small and medium enterprises. Benefits may include reduced government compensation costs and better health equity in the industry.ConclusionThis review using EtD offers a new perspective on international safety-climate research and highlights key gaps in construction safety. The findings suggest that EtD supports comprehensive evidence assessment for practical and policy use. Limited data in many areas points to the need for more holistic, public health-focused research to help achieve construction safety policy goals in Taiwan.
PMID:41804525 | DOI:10.1177/10519815261428096
