Evaluating the Safety Culture in KYTC Maintenance Crews

Safety culture refers to the safety practices workers adhere to — especially when they are not monitored. An organization’s safety culture is defined by its shared values and beliefs regarding safety. When the latter are coupled with safety control systems, they establish behavioral norms. Irrespective of the number and effectiveness of an organization’s engineering and/or administrative safety controls, employee behaviors and attitudes about safety depend on the safety culture. In a similar vein, safety climate is a measure of the perceived value an organization places on safety. It is a snapshot of current conditions and can change quickly, whereas modifying a safety culture takes a more sustained effort. Researchers and practitioners in the construction industry have increasingly focused on investments in safety climate and culture due to mounting evidence that it is critical to improve safety performance, and that doing so can result in financial savings. KY has redoubled its efforts of late to improve safety performance, especially among highway maintenance employees. To further these activities, an assessment of safety culture is needed. If the safety culture has deficiencies, safety programs and controls may not be as effective in reducing work hazard risks.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $155000
• Contract Numbers:

  KYSPR 20-582

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

  200 Mero Street
  Frankfort, KY  United States  40622
• Performing Organizations:

  University of Kentucky, Lexington

  Kentucky Transportation Center College of Engineering, 176 Raymond Building
  Lexington, KY  United States  40506-0281
• Principal Investigators:

  Dadi, Gabe

• Start Date: 20190701
• Expected Completion Date: 20210630
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Evaluation and assessment; Highway maintenance; Maintenance personnel; Safety culture
• Identifier Terms: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01711179
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: University of Kentucky, Lexington
• Contract Numbers: KYSPR 20-582
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jul 17 2019 1:37PM