Association between safety climate, safety participation, safety compliance, and occupational injuries among workers in large-scale building construction projects in Ethiopia.

Purpose: The construction industry is widely acknowledged as one of the most hazardous sectors for workers. This study examined the associations between safety climate and safety behaviour on self-reported injuries in large-scale construction sites in Ethiopia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to May 2023 among 1203 workers from 22 large-scale construction sites. Study participants from each site were selected using a proportional-to-the-size approach. The Nordic Safety Climate Questionnaire (NOSAQ-50) was administered using interviews. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the relationship between safety climate, safety behaviour, and other factors of self-reported injuries.

Results: The prevalence of self-reported injuries in the last twelve months was 35.7% [95% CI (33.0, 38.4)]. Over one-third (35%) of the victims missed more than three workdays due to occupational injuries. Factors affecting self-reported injuries included being a carpenter [AOR = 2.86, 95% CI (1.91-4.28)], being an iron bender [AOR = 1.58, 95% CI (1.02-2.44)], having less than 5 years of work experience [AOR = 1.54, 95% CI (1.18-2.01)], lack of training [AOR = 2.16, 95% CI (1.27-3.72)], low safety climate [AOR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.06-2.21)], low safety participation [AOR = 2.16, 95% CI 1.64-2.86)], and low safety compliance [AOR = 2.32, 95% CI 1.79-3.02)].

Conclusions: This study revealed a high magnitude of injuries and identified a relationship between safety climate, safety behaviors, and occupational injuries in the construction industry. Ensuring the work sites' safety climate and improving compliance with safety rules and procedures is essential.