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

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. 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. 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)]. 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.