The study ultimately seeks to gain knowledge of the status of occupational health and safety on residential construction sites. The researcher is aware that health and safety is a sensitive topic in construction, however it is one that must be addressed urgently so, due to the pressing negative social and economic consequences. The researcher obtained ethical clearance from the School of Construction Economic and Management Ethics Committee, protocol number CEM/16/12/MSC (please see Annexure A). While engaging with the participants the researcher sought to respect the rights, needs, values, cultural backgrounds and desires of the participants. Furthermore the study took cognisance of the following ethical considerations concerning the research participants (Thomas, 2010):
The purpose of the study was explained to participants and their Informed consent was sought and obtained this was done to ensure that participation is voluntary. An attendance register which acted as consent form was completed by the participants and the researcher(s).
Participants’ verbal and written consent will be requested prior to administering the questionnaires. Participants were permitted to stop completing the questionnaire when they desired to do.
The nature of the research did not place participants in any form of danger or potentially harmful situations.
Participants were informed that their identity will be anonymous and their identity was not revealed nor requested in the questionnaire.
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Privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity – anonymity of the respondents will be guaranteed. Participants will be assured that their responses are confidential and sorely to be used for the findings of the research report.
Undergraduate students enrolled for the course Construction Management were recruited from the School of Construction, Economics and Management, to assist in the administration of the questionnaires to research respondents. The researcher financially compensated the students at an hourly rate obtained from the university’s Fees Office and transportation to and from the site was provided by the researcher.
Kumar (2011) cautions researchers to consider the following ethical matters in their respective studies:
Avoiding bias – attempting to deliberately hide findings or report findings in an untruthfully from reality.
Using inappropriate research methodology – using a method and procedure that is inappropriate.
Incorrect reporting – changing results to suit the researchers interest.
Inappropriate use of the information – using the findings in a manner that will in/directly affect the respondents in adverse manner.
3.15 Conclusion
The research design is positivist in nature and an existing research instrument known as the Loughborough Safety Climate Assessment Toolkit and User Guide (LSCAT) was adopted for the purpose of the study). The researcher sought and obtained permission from the Waterfall Country Village manager to gain access to collect data by administering questionnaires to willing respondents at the subject site. Questionnaires were administered by the researcher as well three research assistants over a time frame of two working days to a sample size of 136 residential construction labourers in an attempt to gauge the status of health and safety culture on the various construction sites within the estate. The results of the survey were computed and calculated on Microsoft Excel. The analysis of the data obtained from the questionnaires responses will be discussed in detail in the next chapter of this research.
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CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS
4.0 IntroductionThis chapter seeks to present, discuss and analyse the findings that were obtained from the safety culture survey administered at the Waterfall Country Estate- Gate 4 site. A safety culture was survey was conducted by means of a questionnaire which was administered to construction workers on various construction sites at the Waterfall Country Village. The researcher seeks to explore the safety perceptions, attitudes, and behaviour of construction workers and management safety practices on small residential construction sites and therefore determine the existing safety culture - with the aim of assisting small and micro enterprises to address their unique health and safety challenges.
The following objectives were formed in an attempt to meet the aim of the study:
To measure the safety attitudes of workers on small residential construction sites.
To determine the existing safety culture on small residential construction sites.
The Safety culture survey aimed to provide a baseline measure of work health and safety attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of construction workers as well as the management of safety practices in order to determine the existing safety culture. The survey targeted construction workers (employees). The questionnaire was specific to the types of selected respondents and covered themes and questions related to health and safety culture. This report presents findings from the worker and employer surveys. A sample size of 136 out of a population of 1000 labourers’ construction workers, working on various residential construction sites within the estate participated in the survey. The safety culture questionnaire was administered in English to construction workers throughout various sites on the estate, but was also verbally translated in several of the 11 official South African languages for workers who were not fluent in English. Workers over the age of 18 years employed in the construction site study area were eligible to participate in the survey. The workers had varying years of experience in construction work. Completed surveys were obtained from 136 workers across 25 sites out of a 120 construction sites.