Ethnic Disparities of Perceived Safety Climate Among Construction Workers in Georgia, 2015

Michael Welton, David DeJoy, Maria Eugenia Castellanos, Mark H. Ebell, Ye Shen, Sara Robb

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Safety climate involves worker perception about the relative importance where they work and safety climate and has been shown to be a reliable predictor of safety-related outcomes. Methods: The primary objective of this study is to investigate ethnic differences in perceived safety climate among construction workers. Surveys (n = 179) that included a 10-item safety climate scale were administered in Athens, Georgia (GA), at local construction sites and home improvement stores during June–August, 2015. Results: The majority of respondents were carpenters or roofers (39%), followed by laborers (22%), painters and dry wall workers (14%), other skilled trades (14%), and supervisors (11%); 32% were Hispanic. Hispanic ethnicity (p < 0.0001), drinking two or more alcoholic beverages per day (p < 0.0001), working for a company that does not provide health insurance (p = 0.0022), and working for a company with fewer than ten employees (p < 0.0001) were significantly associated with lower perceived safety climate scores. Conclusion: The lower perceived safety climate scores among Hispanic workers indicate that the perception of the importance of safety on the job site is lower among Hispanics construction workers than non-Hispanics construction workers.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)522-529
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
Volume5
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2018

Keywords

  • Construction industry
  • Ethnic disparities
  • Immigrant workers
  • Migrant health
  • Occupational health
  • Safety climate

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health(social science)
  • Anthropology
  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Health Policy
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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