The influence of clients’ leadership in relation to construction health and safety in South Africa

Abstract

The South African Construction Regulations realise the contributions by each member of a project team to health and safety (H&S) improvement. These Regulations amplify the roles and contributions of clients to project realisation. The tenets of the Regulations conform with the observation that clients’ H&S leadership and behaviours are an effective means of improving construction H&S performance in the industry. This article reports on a study that examined current clients’ leadership approach and expectations in terms of H&S in South African construction. The review of relevant literature provides the platform for the research survey, which was conducted among selected clients of the industry. The findings show that clients’ H&S leadership roles and behaviours have a significant influence on construction H&S performance in South Africa. Findings reveal that unethical behaviour, in terms of procurement and contract awards, is a serious challenge to the improvement of H&S performance in the industry.

Keywords: Behaviours, clients, construction, leadership, health and safety,
South Africa

Die Suid-Afrikaanse Konstruksie Regulasies besef die bydraes van elke lid van ’n projekspan om beroepsgesondheid en veiligheid (H&S) te verbeter. Hierdie Regulering versterk die rol en bydraes van kliënte teenoor projekverwesenliking. Die beginsels van die Regulasies stem ooreen met die waarneming dat kliënte se leierskap en gedrag ten opsigte van H&S ’n doeltreffende manier is om konstruksie H&S-prestasie in die bedryf te verbeter. Hierdie artikel gee bevindinge oor . ondersoek wat gedoen is om huidige kliente in die konstruksieindustrie se leierskapsbenadering en verwagtings oor H&S in Suid-Afrikaanse konstruksie te ondersoek. Die literatuurstudie het die onderbou gevorm vir die navorsingsondersoek, gedoen onder uitgesoekte kliente in die industrie. Die bevindinge toon dat kliente se leierskapsrolle ten opsigte van H&S . groot invloed het op H&S in Suid-Afrika. Onetiese gedrag in terme van aankope en kontraktoekenning is groot uitdaging vir die verbetering van H&S-prestasie in die industrie.