Comparing the perceptions of ethnic minority construction workers and management staff on the factors affecting safety communications

Introduction: Communications is of great importance to the workplace health and safety. This study explores safety communication perceptions of ethnic minority construction workers (EMCWs) and managers to address the vulnerability of EMCWs and overcome communication barriers in ensuring their safety. Method: A questionnaire survey of 134 EMCWs and 95 management staff in the Hong Kong and Australian construction industries is analyzed by the mean score ranking technique, Kendall’s concordance test, Spearman’s rank correlation test, and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The main finding is that “Adequacy of language ability of workers” is the most important factor for effective safety communication. EMCWs also prioritize “Personality characteristics of workers” and “Adequacy of workers’ construction experience” for understanding safety information. Management staff emphasize the importance of “Adequacy of time when communicating with workers” and the “Appropriateness of communication style of management” for effective communication. Significant differences exist between EMCWs and management staff, with EMCWs considering 23 out of 36 factors as more important, particularly regarding cultural sensitivity and workers’ understanding of the host country’s culture. Conclusions: A fresh perspective is provided on safety communication factors, revealing significant differences in perceptions between EMCWs and management staff, highlighting communication gaps requiring attention. The prevailing organizational-centric approach is challenged by emphasizing EMCWs’ prioritization of worker-related factors like language ability and personality traits, emphasizing the need to address worker-specific issues. Cultural sensitivity emerges as a significant factor, rated higher by EMCWs, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and addressing cultural differences in communication. A research gap is filled by examining safety communication issues specific to EMCWs, providing insights for interventions and strategies to enhance safety practices and protect their well-being. Practical Applications: The research findings highlight the importance of addressing language barriers, considering personality traits and construction experience, allocating adequate communication time, and promoting cultural sensitivity in safety communication between EMCWs and management staff.