Safety Compliances Enhancement: Foreign Labours Behaviour in the Malaysian Construction Site
Main Article Content
Abstract
Foreign labours workforce has long been dominating the Malaysian construction industry at the operational level as numerous occupational safeties literatures have reflected most of construction accidents are caused by poor human behaviours. Undeniably, the existence of proper safety behaviour would influence good safety compliance among the construction foreign labours. The purpose of this study is to examine the key issues affecting the safety compliance behaviour enhancement of construction foreign labours in the Malaysian construction site. For the present research, nine case studies were conducted by using semistructured interviews to obtain data from the informants who are mainly site safety personnel. These personnel were working very closely with the construction foreign labours. The findings of this research reveals that there are five key issues that would influence the safety compliances enhancement among the foreign labours: (1) Emotional evoke, (2) Leader as example, (3) Forerunner within the same ethnicity, (4) Supervision execution and (5) Safety prioritisation. Therefore, these key issues have proven that there is a significant relationship between the workers' behaviours and consequences of an act.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Abas, N.H., Yusuf, N., Suhaini, N.A., Kariya, N., Mohammad, H. and Hasmori, M.F. (2020). Factors affecting safety performance of construction projects: A literature review. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 713(1): 012036. http://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/713/1/012036.
Barrett, L.F. (2017). How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain. 1st Ed. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 12–22.
Barrett, L.F. and Russell, J.A. (2014). The Psychological Construction of Emotion. 1st Ed. New York: Guilford Publications, 120–124.
Belayutham, S. and Ibrahim, C.K.I.C. (2019). Barriers and strategies for better safety practices: The case of construction SMEs in Malaysia. Construction Economics and Building, 19(1): ID–6331. http://doi.org/10.5130/AJCEB.v19i1.6331.
Boateng, E.B., Davis, P. and Pillay, M. (2020). Role of human safety intervention on the impact of safety climate on workers safety behaviours in construction projects: A conceptual model. In P. Arezes (ed.), AHFE 2019: Advances in Safety Management and Human Factors. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, Vol. 969. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 190–200. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20497-6_18.
Buica, G., Antonov, A.E., Beiu, C., Pasculescu, D. and Remus, D. (2017). Occupational health and safety management in construction sector: The cost of work accidents. Calitatea, 18(S1): 35–40.
Buniya, M.K., Othman, I., Sunindijo, R.Y., Kineber, A.F., Mussi, E. and Ahmad, H. (2021). Barriers to safety program implementation in the construction industry. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 12(1): 65–72. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2020.08.002.
Burton, J.P., Taylor, S.G. and Barber, L.K. (2014). Understanding internal, external and relational attributions for abusive supervision. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 35(6): 871–891. http://doi.org/10.1002/job.1939.
Chan, A.P., Wong, F.K., Hon, C.K., Javed, A.A. and Lyu, S. (2017). Construction safety and health problems of ethnic minority workers in Hong Kong. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 24(6): 901–919. http://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-09-2015-0143.
CIDB (Construction Industry Development Board) Malaysia (2018). Annual Report 2018: Strengthening Construction Transformation. Kuala Lumpur: CIBD Malaysia, 63–73.
Department of Statistics Malaysia (2018). Key Statistics of Labour Force in Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur: Department of Statistics Malaysia.
Efimova, O.I., Grinenko, A.V., Kalinina, N.V., Miroshkin, D.V., Bazhdanova, Y.V., Oshchepkov, A.A. and Ivleva, S.A. (2019). Personality hardiness as a factor determining the interaction of a person with the environment (psychological and ecological aspects). Ekoloji, 28(107): 563–569.
Empel, K. (2019). Investigating the impact of relocation and homesickness on attention and safety outcomes of high-risk workers. Msc diss. University of Canterbury.
Filho, A.P.G. and Waterson, P. (2018). Maturity models and safety culture: A critical review. Safety Science, 105: 192–211. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2018.02.017.
Grill, M., Pousette, A., Nielsen, K., Grytnes, R. and Törner, M. (2017). Safety leadership at construction sites: The importance of rule-oriented and participative leadership. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, 43(4): 375–384. http://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3650.
Gunduz, M. and Ahsan, B. (2018). Construction safety factors assessment through frequency adjusted importance index. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 64: 155–162. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ergon.2018.01.007.
Hamid, A.R.A., Majid, M.Z.A. and Singh, B. (2008). Causes of accidents at construction sites. Malaysian Journal of Civil Engineering, 20(2): 242–259.
Han, S., Chen, H., Stemn, E. and Owen, J. (2019). Interactions between organisational roles and environmental hazards: the case of safety in the Chinese coal industry. Resources Policy, 60: 36–46. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2018.11.021.
Hasmori, M.F., Akhir, N.A.F. and Said, I. (2020). Causes for lack of usage of satefy harness among construction workers in Malaysia: An investigation. Recent Trends in Civil Engineering and Built Environment, 1(1): 104–114.
Hope, O.K., Wang, D., Yue, H. and Zhao, J. (2022). Information quality and workplace safety. Journal of Management Accounting Research, 34(1): 133–162. http://doi.org/10.2308/jmar-2020-079.
Ismail, M. and Fathi, M.S. (2018). Leadership in construction: Leadership styles practiced in construction project; A review. Journal of Advanced Research in Business and Management Studies, 13(1): 24–30.
Javed, B., Naqvi, S.M.M.R., Khan, A.K., Arjoon, S. and Tayyeb, H.H. (2017). Impact of inclusive leadership on innovative work behavior: The role of psychological safety. Journal of Management and Organization, 23(3): 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2017.3.
Kale, Ö.A. (2020). Determination of poor compliance with OSH rules of construction workers using ordinal regression model. Mugla Journal of Science and Technology, 6(1): 78–88. https://doi.org/10.22531/muglajsci.660022.
Katz, N., Lazer, D., Arrow, H. and Contractor, N. (2005). The network perspective on small groups: Theory and research. In M.S. Poole and A.B. Hollingshead (eds.), Theories of Small Groups: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 277–312. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483328935.n8.
Keltner, D., Sauter, D., Tracy, J. and Cowen, A. (2019). Emotional expression: Advances in basic emotion theory. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 43: 133– 160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10919-019-00293-3.
Khan, A.K., Moss, S., Quratulain, S. and Hameed, I. (2018). When and how subordinate performance leads to abusive supervision: A social dominance perspective. Journal of Management, 44(7): 2801–2826. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206316653930.
Krishnamurthy, N. (2006). Safety in high-rise design and construction. Paper presented at the International Seminar on High Rise Structures. Mysore, India, 8–10 December.
Lado, M. and Alonso, P. (2017). The five-factor model and job performance in low complexity jobs: A quantitative synthesis. Revista de Psicología del Trabajo y de las Organizaciones, 33(3): 75–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rpto.2017.07.004.
Lyu, S., Hon, C.K., Chan, A.P., Wong, F.K. and Javed, A.A. (2018). Relationships among safety climate, safety behavior and safety outcomes for ethnic minority construction workers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(3): 484. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15030484.
Man, S.S., Chan, A.H. and Wong, H.M. (2017). Risk-taking behaviors of Hong Kong construction workers: A thematic study. Safety Science, 98: 25–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2017.05.004.
Manap, N., Noh, N.M. and Syahrom, N. (2017). Recruitment criteria and attraction strategies for local trained labour in Malaysia's construction industry. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 109(1): 012011. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/109/1/012011.
Martinko, M.J., Mackey, J.D., Michalak, R. and Ashkanasy, N.M. (2017). The effects of the interactions between subordinates' and supervisors' characteristics on subordinates' perceptions of abusive supervision. In N.A. Bowling and M.S. Hershcovis (eds.), Research and Theory on Workplace Aggression. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 93–120. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316160930.005.
Maybin, L. (2021). Virtual interviews. British Dental Journal, 230(6): 327–327.
Ministry of Finance (2018). Laporan Ekonomi 2017/2018: Pengurusan dan Prospek Ekonomi. Kuala Lumpur: Ministry of Finance, 2–23.
Najib, I.Z.M., Nordin, R.M., Ahnuar, E.M. and Sukor, K.M. (2019). Malaysian as the Component of Labour Force for Construction Industry in Malaysia. In MATEC Web of Conferences, 266: 01007. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201926601007.
Nguyen, D.T., Teo, S.T., Grover, S.L. and Nguyen, N.P. (2019). Respect, bullying and public sector work outcomes in Vietnam. Public Management Review, 21(6): 863–889. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2018.1538426.
Nordin, R.M., Najib, I.Z.M., Ahnuar, E.M. and Sukur, K.M. (2019). An overview on the participation of local labour in the Malaysian construction industry. Malaysian Construction Research Journal (MCRJ), 8(3): 30–40.
Oswald, D., Wade, F., Sherratt, F. and Smith, S.D. (2019). Communicating health and safety on a multinational construction project: Challenges and strategies. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 145(4): 04019017. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0001634.
Pandit, B., Albert, A., Patil, Y. and Al-Bayati, A.J. (2019). Impact of safety climate on hazard recognition and safety risk perception. Safety Science, 113: 44–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2018.11.020.
Petitta, L., Probst, T.M., Barbaranelli, C. and Ghezzi, V. (2017). Disentangling the roles of safety climate and safety culture: Multi-level effects on the relationship between supervisor enforcement and safety compliance. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 99: 77–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2016.11.012.
Rahman, R.A. (2015). Managing safety at work issues in construction works in Malaysia: A proposal for legislative reform. Modern Applied Science, 9(13): 108–121. https://doi.org/10.5539/mas.v9n13p108.
Reser, J.P. and Bradley, G.L. (2017). Fear appeals in climate change communication. In Oxford Research Encyclopedias: Climate Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228620.013.386.
Shaw, W.S., Roelofs, C. and Punnett, L. (2020). Work environment factors and prevention of opioid-related deaths. American Journal of Public Health, 110(8): 1235–1241. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.305716.
Slaton, J.D., Hanley, G.P. and Raftery, K.J. (2017). Interview?informed functional analyses: A comparison of synthesized and isolated components. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50(2): 252–277. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.384.
Tanko, B.L., Low, C.T. and Idiake, J.E. (2020). Compliance with the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) on construction sites in Johor, Malaysia. International Journal of Real Estate Studies, 14(1): 123–138.
Toppazzini, M.A. and Wiener, K.K.K. (2017). Making workplaces safer: The influence of organisational climate and individual differences on safety behaviour. Heliyon, 3(6): 334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2017.e00334.
Ucar, S. (2017). Reluctance and resistance: Challenges to change in psychotherapy. Journal of Psychology and Clinical Psychiatry, 7(6): 00464. https://doi.org/10.15406/jpcpy.2017.07.00464.
Wang, D., Wang, X. and Xia, N. (2018). How safety-related stress affects workers' safety behavior: The moderating role of psychological capital. Safety Science, 103: 247–259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2017.11.020.
Waribo, Y., Akintayo, D.I., Osibanjo, A.O., Fadeyi, O.I. and Ibidunni, A.S. (2019). Temporal and spatial justice on employees' behavioural outcomes: A focus on the Nigerian ports industry. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology, 10(2): 662–670.
Williams, O.S., Hamid, R.A. and Misnan, M.S. (2018). Accident causal factors on the building construction sites: A review. International Journal of Built Environment and Sustainability, 5(1): 78–92. https://doi.org/10.11113/ijbes.v5.n1.248.
Winge, S., Albrechtsen, E. and Mostue, B.A. (2019). Causal factors and connections in construction accidents. Safety Science, 112: 130–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2018.10.015.
Wong, T.K.M., Man, S.S. and Chan, A.H.S. (2020). Critical factors for the use or nonuse of personal protective equipment amongst construction workers. Safety Science, 126: 104663. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2020.104663.
Wu, C., Wang, F., Zou, P.X. and Fang, D. (2016). How safety leadership works among owners, contractors and subcontractors in construction projects. International Journal of Project Management, 34(5): 789–805. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2016.02.013.
Yang, J.S. and Hung, H.V. (2017). Happy workers value effort, sad workers value reward. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 28(11): 1591–1624. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2015.1128458.
Yang, L.Q., Zheng, X., Liu, X., Lu, C.Q. and Schaubroeck, J.M. (2020). Abusive supervision, thwarted belongingness and workplace safety: A group engagement perspective. Journal of Applied Psychology, 105(3): 230. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000436.
Yap, J.B.H. and Lee, W.K. (2020). Analysing the underlying factors affecting safety performance in building construction. Production Planning and Control, 31(13): 1061–1076. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2019.1695292.
Zhang, L., Chen, H., Li, H., Wu, X. and Skibniewski, M.J. (2018). Perceiving interactions and dynamics of safety leadership in construction projects. Safety Science, 106: 66–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2018.03.007.
Zin, S.M. and Ismail, F. (2012). Employers' behavioural safety compliance factors toward occupational, safety and health improvement in the construction industry. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 36: 742–751. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.03.081.
Zulkeflee, A.A., Faisol, N., Ismail, F. and Ismail, N.A.A. (2020). Case studies on the current safety issue and work behaviour of construction site workers in Malaysia. International Journal of Accounting, Finance and Business (IJAFB), 5(29): 18–28.