Knowledge-Based Competencies Necessar y for the Frontline Construction Supervisor:

Improving Safety through Knowledge

by
ylan !ardison
"ctober# $%&$
irector of 'hesis: r( )ichael Behm
)a*or epartment: 'echnology Systems
+valuating supervisor competency levels has been a management challenge since the beginning of
supervisory roles in the construction process( Supervisors perform a critical role in the wor,place with
respect to wor,place safety and health( Supervisors are the driving component of the operational aspects
of management systems and often convey messages from upper level management directly to line level
wor, force( -s a supervisor serves as a liaison for the line level wor, force# it is vitally important
supervisors have a clear understanding of his roles and responsibilities within his organi.ation( -s upper
level management strives to improve the safety record of an organi.ation# the supervisor must be valued
as a ,ey component of an organi.ations struggle to help establish a proactive safety culture( 'he issue
presents itself when the true level of supervisor competency cannot be determined by manage ment( 'he
purpose of this paper is to identify the ,ey ,nowledge-based competencies that are suggested to be the
most important to the construction supervisor with respect to improving construction site safety
performance(

Knowledge-Based Competencies Necessary for the Front-Line Construction Supervisor:
Improving Safety through Knowledge
- 'hesis
/resented 'o the Faculty of the epartment of 'echnology Systems
+ast Carolina 0niversity
In /artial Fulfillment of the 1e2uirements for the egree
)asters of Science in "ccupational Safety
by
ylan !ardison
"ctober# $%&$

3 ylan !ardison# $%&$


c!nowledgement
I am heartily than,ful to my supervisor and professors# whose encouragement# guidance# and
support from the initial to the final level enabled me to thoroughly understand and develop the
pro*ect(
4astly# I offer my regards and blessings to all of those who supported me in any respect during
the completion of the pro*ect(
ylan !ardison

"a#le of Contents
555555555555555555555555((555555viii 4IS' "F '-B4+S
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C!-/'+1 &: B-CK61"0N ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( &
C!-/'+1 $: 1+8I+9 "F '!+ 4I'+1-'01+ ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( :
Competencies (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( :
+stablishing +ffective Communication((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ;
4eader )ember +7changes ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( <
Knowledge of routine=non-routine wor, tas,s (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( <
Knowledge and application of effective team building s,ills ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( <
-ssessing +mployee Stress 4evels ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( >
Setting wor,er tas,s and responsibilities (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( >
isciplinary procedures and conflict resolution ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ?
@ob planning and organi.ation of wor,flow(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ?
)ethods of Safety /romotion ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ?
+ffective 'raining ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( A
efinition of Competent ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( A
"S!- "utreach 'raining ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( &%
'opics of "utreach 'raining ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( &&
C!-/'+1 :: )+'!"S (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( &:
Identifying the 1esearch Buestion (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( &:
elphi 'echni2ue (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( &<
Selection of panel members (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( &>
Number of /anelists (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( &A
/anel )ember emographics ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( $%
1ound &((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( $$
1ound & 1esult (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( $:
1ound 'wo(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( $<
1ound $ 1esults (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( $>
"ther Buestions (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( $A
C!-/'+1 C: C"NC40SI"NS -N ISC0SSI"N ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ::$
1+F+1+NC+S ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( :>
-//+NID - ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( C%
-//+NID B ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( C&
-//+NID C ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( C:

List of "a#les
$% 4ist of non-technical ,nowledge-based competencies5555555555(55((( ;
&% 'opics of "S!- :% !our "utreach 'raining5555555555555555 &&
'% Comprehensive list of ,nowledge-based competencies555555555555 &C
(% Criteria for selection of e7pert panel members555555555555555( &A
)% -verage points based on categories of e7perience5555555555555(((( $&
/ercentage based on educational level555555555555555555(( $&
<(
*% -verage years of e7perience among educational l evels555555555555 $$
?( emographics of panel members55555555555555555555(( $$
+% 0pper twenty E$%F ,nowledge-based competencies selected in G1ound &H 5555 $;
$,% 0pper fifteen E&;F ,nowledge-based competencies selected in G1ound $H 5555 $?
$$% "ther 2uestions as,ed555555555555555555555555((( $A

List of Figures
$% Round 1 competencies selected by percentage.. 24
&% Round 2 competencies selected by percentage.. 28

C-."/0 $: BCK1023N4
Impacting construction site safety is a difficult and multi-dimensional tas,( Influences on
eventual site safety develop from multiple sources( "ften the responsibility for construction site safety is
handed down from upper level management to the line level or site supervisor=foreman ESwuste#
Fri*tersI6uldenmund# $%&$F( +arly wor, by !in.e E!in.eI 6ordon# &A>AJ !in.eI /ar,er# &A>?F
demonstrated that the foreman s attitude towards safety programs and the psychological environmental
they create positively impacts in*ury rates( 1ecently# research during the 4ondon $%&$ "lympics
construction pro*ects revealed that supervisor competence enhanced effective site safety practices and is a
,ey to border construction industry impact ECheyne# Finneran# !artley I 6ibb# $%&&F(
'he "ccupational Safety and !ealth -dministration s E"S!-F :%-hour Construction outreach
class is a ha.ards-based class and is intended to provide a variety of training to wor,ers with some safety
responsibility E"S!-# $%&&F( 1ecently# Nevada state law EN1S <&?(A?:F now re2uires all construction
supervisors must complete the "S!- :%-hour "utreach 'raining within &; days of hire and renewal of
every ; years EN1S <&?(A?:F( 'he Center for Construction 1esearch and 'raining EC/91F recommends
the "S!- &%-hour training as a baseline standard for wor,ers and that all supervisors and on-site
management possess the "S!- :%-hour training E'he Center for Construction 1esearch and 'raining#
$%&$F(
4iterature supports the importance of the supervisor to construction site safety and health
performance( !owever# the supervisors necessary competencies are not clear( For e7ample# Cheyne et
al( E$%&&F report that Gsupervisors need technical# interpersonal and communication s,illsH# but the details
of these competencies are not described( 'his is the point of departure for our research and its
contribution( 9hen management has a clear understanding of what ,nowledge base is necessary for the
supervisor to possess in order to improve safety performance# efforts can then be centered on the
necessary training and educational methods to strengthen that ,nowledge base( 'he purpose of this
research is to identify the necessary ,nowledge based competencies that are most important for the front

line construction supervisor( In this study a comprehensive list of ,nowledge based competencies was
developed from a literature review and tested against a panel of construction safety e7perts( 'he end
result shows the top fifteen E&;F ,nowledge based competencies selected by the e7pert panel( 'his paper
provides insight to management of construction organi.ations by helping to better understand what
,nowledge is re2uired of line level supervisors=foreman to possess in order to improve *ob site safety(
$

C-."/0 &: 0/5I/6 2F "-/ LI"/0"30/
Competencies
- site supervisor=foreman# for the rest of this paper# will be referenced as GsupervisorHJ supervisor
is defined as one who serves an organi.ation as a planner# organi.er# and facilitator of daily construction
management systems EShohetI4aufer# &AA&F( 'he importance of the construction supervisor for proper
implementation of safety and health programs on construction sites has long been given attention Efor
e7ample# !uang et al(# $%%CJ !offmann I)orgeson# &AAAJ /eterson# &AAAJ !in.e I 6ordon# &A>AJ
!in.e I /ar,er# &A>?F(
+arly research by !in.e and 6ordon E&A>AF revealed that# if safety programs are to be effective#
the psychological environment of wor,er must be consideredJ they emphasi.e the important role of the
supervisor in attaining this and recommend training for supervisors to develop managerial style congruent
with enhancing the psychological environment( !in.e E&A?&F also found that supervisors that openly
showed respect for wor,ers and incorporated their suggestions also had safer wor, crews(
ShohetI4aufer E&AA&F found that enhanced planning by the construction foreman=supervisor leads to
improved productivity Eand they specifically included safetyF at the construction site( 4ingard# Coo,e#
IBlismas# E$%%AF found that supervisors are more li,ely to have a significant impact upon safety#
compared to top managers and safety managers(
'he state of Nevada defines the GSupervisory employeeH as G-ny person having authority in the
interest of the employer to hire# transfer# suspend# lay off# recall# promote# discharge# assign# reward or
discipline other employees or responsibility to direct them# to ad*ust their grievances or effectively to
recommend such action# if in connection with the foregoing# the e7ercise of such authority is not of a
merely routine or clerical nature but re2uires the use of independent *udgmentH EN1S <&?(A<># $%&$F(
- supervisor=foreman serves an organi.ation as a planner# organi.er# and facilitator of daily
construction management systems EShohetI4aufer# &AA&J /eterson# &AAAF( It has been said that the line
level supervisor is the ,ey driver of wor, place safety and has both the responsibility and authority to
:

manage the safety of the line level wor,force E!uang# Chen# Krauss# and 1ogers# $%%CJ
!offmannI)orgeson# &AAAJ /eterson# &AAAJ !in.eI /ar,er# &A>?F( Several factors# such as ,nowledge#
s,ill# e7perience# training# etc(# build the level of competency in the construction supervisorE)ohamed#
$%%$J /eterson# &AAAF )any times the responsibility of construction site safety is handed down from
upper level management to the line level supervisor=foreman ESwuste# Fri*ters# I6uldenmund# $%&$J
/eterson &AAAF(
'oday s supervisors have many tas,s to perform( -s part of middle management# it may be the
supervisor s responsibility to train the line level employees on wor, related processes# company
procedures# and to notify and educate employees about prevalent ha.ards in the wor, place E"diorne#
&AA&F( - line level supervisor may need todirectly perform wor, related tas,s in efforts to improve
productivity# or improve productivity indirectlythrough administrative procedures and
controlsE)urugappaISirinvasan# $%%>F( In today s construction industry the supervisor serves as a
liaison between the wor,ers and upper level management E)urugappaISirinvasan# $%%>F( -s an
administrative liaison# it is the supervisor s responsibility to report all safety related ha.ards# incidents#
and near misses to upper level management E/eterson# &AAAF(
9ith management s commitment to wor,place safety and health# the supervisor has the potential
to become the driving force of an organi.ations safety culture E/eterson# &AAAJ !in.e# &A?&F( !igh
management commitment is a ,ey dimension of safety climate EFlin# )earns# " Connor#IBryden# $%%%F(
Safety culture=climate and management commitment to safety related issues address the larger scope of
decreasing an organi.ations incident rateE)ichael# 6uo# 9iedenbec,tI 1ay# $%%<F(
'he literature focused on identifying,nowledge-based competencies that are necessary for the
front-line construction supervisor=foreman( Some of the competencies identified through the literature are
more closely related to attributes and personal s,ills while others are closely related to the technical
aspects of construction wor,( Table 1.0lists the non-technical ,nowledge-based competencies that are
C

necessary for the supervisor=foreman as identified from peer reviewed literature( +ach of these
competencies isdiscussed in the following paragraphs(
Table 1.0 List of non-tecnical !no"ledge-based competencies #$ee paragrap#s% &elo"%
Knowledge-Based Competencies
&( +stablishing effective communication
$( 4eader member e7changes
:( Knowledge of routine=non-routine wor, tas,s
C( Knowledge and application of effective team building s,ills
;( -ssessing employee stress levels
<( Setting wor,er tas,s and responsibilities
>( isciplinary procedures and conflict resolution
?( @ob planning and organi.ation of wor, flow
A( )ethods of safety promotion
/sta#lishing /ffective Communication
+ffective safety communication possesses the potential to have a positive effect on safety
performance within an organi.ationEBur,e# Smith-Crowe# Salvador I Chan-Serafin# Smith#
ISonesh$%&&J'ornerI/ousette# $%%AJ insdag# Biggs ISheahan# $%%?J 4eather# $%%>J !op,ins# $%%;J
+dum-FotweI)cCaffer# $%%%J 4angford# 1owlinson# ISawacha# $%%%J !offman and )orgeson &AAAJ
/eterson# &AAAJ SimardI)archand# &AACJ"diorne &AA&F( It has been stated G"nly when employees tal,
of safety as an overriding priority in an organi.ation# can an organi.ation be considered to have a
proactive safety cultureH E!op,ins# $%%; # p( &&F( It would be safe to say that in order for an organi.ation
to have a proactive safety culture and tal, of safety as an G"verriding priority#H the organi.ation must
have effective safety communication throughout all levels of the management systems E!op,ins# $%%;F(
"diorne E&AA&F suggests that employee s safety related performance should increase when the supervisors
e7plain all operating procedures and conse2uences of unsafe behaviorsJ and when there is organi.ational
commitment to continually improve wor, processes and to reduce ris,s to a reasonable level among
affected employees(
;

Leader 7em#er /8changes
+7change relations between employees and supervisors are vitally important to the safety
performance of an organi.ation ESwuste et al(# $%&$J Bur,e et al(# $%&&J 4ingard# Coo,e# IBlismas# $%%AJ
'ornerI/ousette# $%%AJ insdag et al(# $%%?J+dum-FotweI)cCaffer# $%%%J !offman and )orgeson
&AAAJ /eterson# &AAAJSimardI)archand# &AACJ "diorne &AA&J !in.e# &A?&F(!ofmannI)orgeson
E&AAAF states that GIf an organi.ation attempts to demonstrate that it values and cares for its wor,ers#
employees should perceive that management would be open to the raising of safety concerns(HSupervisors
must strive to establish positive e7change relations among employees in efforts to improve *ob
performance# *ob satisfaction# and safety performance E)ichaelet al(# $%%<F( !uang et al(E$%%CF and
!ofmann and )orgeson E&AAAF suggest when positive e7change relationships are established between
line level employees and supervisors# wor,ers may be more willing to follow safety related policies and
procedures leading to fewer in*uries in the wor,place(
Knowledge of routine9non-routine wor! tas!s
4ingard# Coo,e# IBlismas E$%%AF# )itropoulos ICupidoE$%%AF#and )anueleE$%%?Fsuggest that
high numbers of accidents occur when non-routine wor, tas,s# re2uiring high levels of energy# are being
performed( 'he implementation of a pre *ob planning and initial ha.ard analysis is the ,ey to preventing
serious accidents that occur due to unusual and non-routine wor, E)anuele# $%%?F( 'his pre *ob planning
and initial ha.ard analysis is to be done before the wor, commences# occupational safety and health
ha.ard e7posures are to be assessed# and operational changes should be planned for ahead of time
E)anuele# $%%?F(
Knowledge and application of effective team #uilding s!ills
In the construction industry# management selects and appoints supervisors to be the leaders of the
wor, crewE/eterson# &AAAF( It is vitally important that the supervisor build a positive atmosphere in which
his employees wor, ESwuste et al(# $%&$J 4ingard# Coo,e# IBlismas# $%%AJ /eterson# &AAAJ !in.e# &A?&F(
- positive atmosphere will decrease group tension and will help create a willingness to consider new
<

ideas that may help establish a mindset of safety on the *ob ESwuste et al(# $%&$J 4ingard#Coo,e#
IBlismas# $%%AJ /eterson# &AAAJ !in.e# &A?&F( Several team-building s,ills can have a positive effect on
building a pleasant atmosphere for employees to wor, in ESwuste et al(# $%&$J 4ingard# Coo,e# IBlismas#
$%%AJ /eterson# &AAAJ !in.e# &A?&F(
ssessing /mployee Stress Levels
@ob related stress has the potential to create wor,er negligence# carelessness# ignorance# and lac,
of attention to the wor, tas,s being performed E!in.eI /ar,er# &A>?F( 9or,er stress can come from both
on and off the *ob pressures and should be noticed by the line level supervisors E!in.eI /ar,er# &A>?F(
9or, related on the *ob pressures primarily arise from conflicting *ob demands# e7treme time pressures#
and poor basic rates of pay along with wor,er incentives for ma7imi.ing productivity by cutting corners
and ris, ta,ing E4eather# $%%>J 4angford et al(# $%%%F( - former study performed by !in.eI /ar,er
E&A>?F suggest that safety and productivity do not conflict on construction sites and that *ob sites under
less productivity pressures from upper management have a lower incident rate( Stress level assessment of
the line level wor,force is an important tool for the supervisor to possess in the conte7t of increasing *ob
satisfaction and improving employee safety behaviors E)itropoulos and Cupido# $%%AJ 4eather# $%%>J
!uang et al(# $%%CJ+dum-FotweI)cCaffer# $%%%J/eterson# &AAAJ !in.e# &A?&F(
Setting wor!er tas!s and responsi#ilities
It is especially important that the supervisor be competent in the methods of setting wor,er tas,s
and responsibilities in a matter that his operating line can be the most effective E)ichael et al(# $%%<J
!offman and )orgeson# &AAAJ /eterson# &AAAJ"diorne &AA&F( )itropoulos and Cupido E$%%AF suggest
assigning e7perienced construction crews the more demanding and challenging tas,s as a way to help
improve both productivity and safety performance( Setting wor,er tas,s and responsibilities is a ,ey
component to increasing the safety performance of the line level wor, force E)urugappaISirinivasan#
$%%>J )ichael et al(# $%%<J !offman and )orgeson# &AAAJ /eterson# &AAAJ"diorne &AA&F(
>

4isciplinary procedures and conflict resolution
"ne disrespectful and non-professional attempt at a behavioral=performance change has the
ability to crush the positive atmosphere of a wor,place E/eterson &AAAF( 'his being said# it is important
for the supervisor to understand the correct and ethical way to reprimand employees for their unsafe
actions( 'reating an employee as a person rather than a number is the best way to achieve effective
employee discipline E/eterson# &AAAF(Conchie# 'aylor I Charlton E$%&&F and"diorneE&AA&Fsuggests that
a supervisor must also facilitate relationships between employees and must possess the authority and
,nowledge of understanding disruptive behaviors in wor,ers in order to resolve conflict and discipline
when necessary(
:o# planning and organi;ation of wor!flow
Failure to plan ahead for daily wor, activities creates conditions that can be detrimental to the
safety performance of line level wor,ersE)itropoulos and Cupido# $%%AJ /eterson &AAAF( For this reason
it is important that supervisors manage the progression of both wor, flow and wor, related tas,s E4eather#
$%%>F( - study conducted by Sohet and 4aufer E$%%<F found that 0S construction supervisors spent
:<(AK of their time dealing with planning and coordination of wor,flow('he supervisors are the
individuals who are e7pected to be proficient in solving problems within the wor, related tas,s on
construction sites E/eterson# &AAAJ "diorne# &AA&F(/lanning reduces confusion with respect to both
routine and non-routine wor, tas,s that can put employees in error provocative situations E)itropoulos
and Cupido# $%%AF(G'f te design of te "or! place or "or! metods is error pro(ocati(e) you can be sure
H E)anuele# $%%?# p( >&F(
tat uman errors "ill occur
7ethods of Safety .romotion
'he way that supervisors promote safety within their organi.ation shows the supervisors true
commitment to safety E4ingard# Coo,e# IBlismas# $%%AJ 4eather# $%%>J !uang et al(# $%%CJ /eterson
&AAAF( - study performed by 6illen# Balt.# 6assel# I8accaro E$%%$F found that when wor,ers perceived
less support from the supervisor# the *ob site was thought to be less safe( 9hen supervisors actively
participate in safety policies Ee7( personal protective e2uipment# enthusiasm during safety training# and
?

commitment to ha.ard abatementF they are demonstrating the organi.ations commitment to safety and
help build a culture within the organi.ation that places safety as an overriding priority E/e terson &AAAF( It
is important for organi.ations to act in a matter that portrays their commitment and support of wor,place
safety and health E4ingard# Coo,e# IBlismas $%%AJ 4eather# $%%>J !uang et al(# $%%CJ /eterson &AAAF(
/ffective "raining
Building an understanding of potential ha.ards# "!IS re2uirements#and,nowledge of the ha.ard
abatement process is vitally important for *ob site safety Einsdaget al(# $%%?F( In order for supervisory
training to be truly effective it must target specific competencies that will increase the safety culture of
the organi.ation as a whole Einsdaget al(# $%%?F( +7amples of specific training that have the potential to
increase safety culture are communication# ris, control# wor, tas,=process planning# and leader=member
e7change training Einsdaget al(# $%%?F( /rofessional competence in safety is a combination of ac2uired
,nowledge through training and e7perience E+dum-FotweI)cCaffer# $%%%F( Since the training of the
supervisors from upper level management normally contains no safety component# many organi.ations
may have supervisors with little or no ,nowledge of construction site safety Einsdag et al(# $%%?F( 'he
issue associated with a lac, of supervisory ,nowledge is that# supervisors may enforce wor, related safety
policies but may miss the safety principles than need to be integrated into the training to have an effective
proactive safety culture Einsdag et al(# $%%?F(
4efinition of Competent
-merican National Standards Institute=-merican Industrial !ygiene -ssociation E-NSI=-I!-F
L&%-$%%;: 'he -merican National Standard for "ccupational !ealth and Safety )anagement Systems#
states that GCompetence is normally achieved or demonstrated through one or more of the following:
education# training# mentoring# e7perience# certification# licensing# and performance assessmentH
E-merican Industrial !ygiene -ssociation I -merican National Standards Institute# $%%;F(
'he "ccupational Safety and !ealth -dministration E "S!-F defines a competent person as M"ne
who is capable of identifying e7isting and predictable ha.ards in the surroundings or wor,ing conditions
A

which are unsanitary# ha.ardous# or dangerous to employees# and who has authori.ation to ta,e prompt
corrective measures to eliminate themM E"S!-# $%&$F(
2S- 2utreach "raining
'he "S!- :% !our "utreach training is taught by government trainers and is more in depth than
the &% !our certification course and is intended for personnel with supervisory authority over wor,place
safety and healthE"ccupational Safety and !ealth -dministration N"S!-O# $%&&F( 'his outreach course
covers "S!- policies# procedures# and standards# as well as construction safety and health principles
E"S!-# $%&&F( 'he training ob*ectives of the :% !our "utreach 'rainingincludes scope and application
of the "S!- construction standards 2* +,R 1*2-# special emphasis being placed on the recognition#
avoidance# abatement# and prevention of wor,place ha.ards E"S!-# $%&&F("S!- states that the :% !our
"utreach 'raining does not meet the training re2uirements for any "S!- standard but suggests that the
training is a method of contributing to the body of ,nowledge of those wor,ers with supervisory authority
E"S!-# $%&&F(
Since $%%?# )assachusetts state law re2uires all wor,ers on publicly funded pro*ect to complete
the "S!- &% !our "utreach 'raining program E'he Center for Construction 1esearch and 'raining#
$%&$F('he Center for Construction 1esearch and 'raining EC/91F suggest that the "S!- &% is a
GbaselineH standard for wor,er training and further suggest that all sup ervisors and on site management
possess the "S!- :% training E'he Center for Construction 1esearch and 'raining# $%&$F(
Currently Nevada state law re2uires all wor,ers to complete the "S!- &% !our "utreach
N1S 'raining and all construction supervisors must complete the "S!- :% !our "utreach 'raining E
<&?(A?:State of Nevada# $%&$F( Both wor,ers and supervisors must complete the training within &; days
N1S <&?(A?: of hire and renewal of :% !our Card every ; years E State of Nevada# $%&$F(
&%

"opics of 2utreach "raining
Below# in E'able $(%F# is the list of the training topics covered through the "S!- :% !our "utreach
training course(
Table 2.0 Topics of .$/0 10 /our .utreac Training #.$/0) 2011%
&( Introduction to "S!- $( +lectrical !a.ards
:( Fall /rotection C( Struc, By
;( Caught In Between <( Stairs and 4adders
>( !ealth !a.ards in Construction ?( Concrete and )asonry
A( Cranes# derric,s# hoists# elevators# &%( Steel +rection
conveyors
&&( )anaging Safety and !ealth &$( !and and /ower 'ools
&:( Fire /rotection and /revention &C( 9elding and !ot 9or,
&;( /ersonal /rotective and 4ifesaving &<( Signs# Signals and Barricades
+2uipment
&>( )aterial !andling# Storage# 0se# and &?( Scaffolding
isposal
&A( +7cavations $%( /owered Industrial 8ehicles
$&( Contractors Safety and !ealth program $$( +rgonomics
$:( )otor vehicles# mechanical e2uipment
and marine operationsJ rollover
protection structures and overhead
protection
4iterature supports the importance of the supervisor to construction site safety and health
performance( !owever# the supervisors necessary competencies are not clear( 'his is the point of
departure for our research and its contribution( 9hen management has a clear understanding of what
,nowledge base is necessary for the supervisor to possess in order to improve safety performance# efforts
can then be centered on the necessary training and educational methods to strengthen that ,nowledge
base( 'he purpose of this research is to identify the necessary general ,nowledge based competencies that
are most important for the front line construction supervisor( 'his paper provides insight to management
of construction organi.ations by helping to better understand what ,nowledge is re2uired of line level
supervisors=foreman to possess in order to improve *ob site safety( 9hat has been identified through this
study is that the "S!- :% !our card should not be considered the GdefactoH for the ,nowledge base of a
supervisor with respect to controlling construction safety and health ris,s( 'here are other managerial and
interpersonal competencies that can be taught through traditional educational methods Ei(e( classroom#
&&

hands-on# *ob site trainingF that can strengthen the ,nowledge base of the supervisor( Nevada and
)assachusetts should consider this study s findings with respect to their current policies and other states
should consider this researches finding when considering options such as Nevada and )assachusetts(
&$

C-."/0 ': 7/"-24S
Identifying the 0esearch <uestion
Following a comprehensivee7amination of peer reviewed literature focused onthe topics that aid
to the ,nowledge base and strengthen the competence of a construction supervisor=foreman with respect
to improving the safety performance of a constructionsite# a list of ideal ,nowledge-based competencies
for the construction supervisor=foreman has been developed( Following the development of this list# the
research 2uestion was identified as follows: G9hat are the most important,nowledge-basedcompetencies
for the construction supervisor=foreman with respect to improving construction site safety
performance(H'he findings through this study will add to the body of ,nowledge by determining which
,nowledge-based competencies that construction managers should loo, for in their supervisors when
either hiring a new supervisor or increasing the ,nowledge base through safety training('his study will
also help determine the strength that the "S!- :% !our Cards ,nowledge based training topics have on
the underlying factors of incident causality('his study tests the ,nowledge based training topics covered
in the "S!- :% !our Course against the most important ,nowledge-based competencies identified by a
panel of construction safety e7perts( 'he ,nowledge-based competencies that are identified through this
study are thought to be the most important competencies for a front-line supervisor to possess in order to
improve safety performance(
ue to the large list of factors that ma,e supervisors competent to manage safety on construction
sites# this study focuses only on ,nowledge-based competencies that can be addressed through training
Ei(e( classroom# hands on# or a combination thereof that is to be administered to the supervisor=foreman in
efforts to build a better understanding of managing safety related to the topic being addressed through the
training sessionF(Below# 'able:(% contains thecomprehensive list of ,nowledge-based competencies# as
found from the literature review along with each accompanying sourcesEsF(
&:

Table 3.0 +ompreensi(e list of !no"ledge-based competencies
Competency = Supervisors are to be competent in Source
the following topics
&( +stablishing effective communication EBur,e# Smith-Crowe# Salvador I Chan-Serafin#
Smith# ISonesh$%&&J'ornerI/ousette# $%%AJ
insdag# Biggs ISheahan# $%%?J 4eather# $%%>J
!op,ins# $%%;J +dum-FotweI)cCaffer# $%%%J
4angford# 1owlinson# and Sawacha# $%%%J
!offman and )orgeson &AAAJ /eterson# &AAAJ
SimardI)archand# &AACJ "diorne &AA&F( "diorne
E&AA&F
$( +stablishing positive leader=member ESwuste et al(# $%&$J Bur,e et al(# $%&&J 4ingard#
e7changes Coo,e# IBlismas# $%%AJ 'ornerI/ousette# $%%AJ
insdag et al(# $%%?J )ichael et al# $%%<J !uang et
al(# $%%CJ +dum-FotweI)cCaffer# $%%%J !offman
and )orgeson &AAAJ /eterson#
&AAAJSimardI)archand# &AACJ "diorne &AA&J
!in.e# &A?&F
:( Knowledge of routine=non-routine wor, tas,s E4ingard# Coo,e# IBlismas# $%%AJ )itropoulos
ICupido# $%%AJ )anuele# $%%?F
C( Knowledge and application of effective team ESwuste et al(# $%&$J 4ingard# Coo,e# IBlismas#
building s,ills $%%AJ /eterson# &AAAJ !in.e# &A?&F(
;( -ssessing employee stress levels E)itropoulos and Cupido# $%%AJ 4eather# $%%>J
!uang et al(# $%%CJ+dum-FotweI)cCaffer# $%%%J
4angford et al(# $%%%J /eterson# &AAAJ !in.e#
&A?&J !in.eI /ar,er# &A>?F
<( Setting wor,er tas,s and responsibilities E)itropoulos and Cupido# $%%AJ
)urugappaISirinivasan# $%%>J )ichael et al(#
$%%<J !offman and )orgeson# &AAAJ /eterson#
&AAAJ"diorne &AA&F
>( isciplinary procedures and conflict resolution Conchie# 'aylor I Charlton$%&&J /eterson#
&AAAJ"diorne# &AA&F
?( @ob planning and organi.ation of wor,flow E)itropoulos and Cupido# $%%AJ )anuel# $%%?J
4eather# $%%>J Sohet and 4aufer# $%%<J /eterson
&AAAJ "diorne# &AA&F
A( )ethods of safety promotion E4ingard# Coo,e# IBlismas $%%AJ 4eather# $%%>J
!uang et al(# $%%CJ 6illen# Balt.# 6assel#
I8accaro# $%%$J /eterson &AAAF
&%( 0nderstanding of "S!- policies=concepts E"S!-# $%&&F
&&( Knowledge an application of electrical ha.ards E"S!-# $%&&F
&$( Knowledge and application of fall protection E"S!-# $%&&F
&C

&:( Identification of GStruc, byH ha.ards E"S!-# $%&&F
&C( Identification of GCaught in betweenH ha.ards E"S!-# $%&&F
&;( !ealth ha.ards in construction E"S!-# $%&&F
&<( )anaging safety and health E"S!-# $%&&F
&>( Contractors safety and health program E"S!-# $%&&F
&?( /ersonal protective and lifesaving e2uipment E"S!-# $%&&F
&A( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!-# $%&&F
control and prevention of ha.ards associated
with G H
Stairs and ladders
$%( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!-# $%&&F
control and prevention of ha.ards associated
with GConcrete and masonryH
$&( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!-# $%&&F
control and prevention of ha.ards associated
with G
Cranes> derric!s> hoists> elevators>
conveyorsH
$$( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!-# $%&&F
control and prevention of ha.ards associated
with G H
Steel erection
$:( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!-# $%&&F
control and prevention of ha.ards associated
with G-and and power toolsH
$C( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!-# $%&&F
control and prevention of ha.ards associated
with GFire prevention and protection H
$;( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!-# $%&&F
control and prevention of ha.ards associated
with G H
6elding and hot wor!
$<( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!-# $%&&F
control and prevention of ha.ards associated
with GSigns> signals> and #arricades H
$>( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!-# $%&&F
control and prevention of ha.ards associated
with G7aterials handling> storage> use> and
H
disposal
$?( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!-# $%&&F
control and prevention of ha.ards associated
with G H
Scaffolding
&;

$A( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!-# $%&&F
control and prevention of ha.ards associated
with G H
/8cavations
:%( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!-# $%&&F
control and prevention of ha.ards associated
with G.owered industrial vehiclesH
:&( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!-# $%&&F
control and prevention of ha.ards associated
with G H
/rgonomics
:$( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!-# $%&&F
control and prevention of ha.ards associated
with G7otor vehicles> mechanical
/?uipment and marine 2perations@
0ollover protection structures and
2verhead protectionH
4elphi "echni?ue
'he elphi techni2ue is a structured and interactive process for gaining the consensus of a panel
of industry e7perts on a particular topic E!allowellI6ambatese# $%&%F( 'his techni2ue utili.essurvey
basedresearch that is administered through subse2uent rounds of data collection that include controlled
and anonymous feedbac,( In this study# survey based 2uestionnaireswere delivered to a panel of industry
e7perts that wassystematically formed to best answer the proposed research 2uestion based on pre-
determined criteria for panel member selection( 'he purpose of the elphi techni2ue# utili.ed in this
research pro*ect# is to allow the panel of e7perts to review the opinions of their counterparts from previous
rounds in efforts to reduce the variability of future rounds and meet a predetermined level of consensus as
a group E!allowellI6ambatese# $%&%F(
!allowell I6ambatese E$%&%F suggested that the elphi process is concluded after a predefined
criterion Enumber of rounds or the achievement of consensusF( !oley et al( E$%%>F found that G'here is no
general agreement in the literature that defines specific criteria to use to determine when consensus has
been achieved# i(e( when to stop a elphi study( +vidence on the evaluation of elphi consensus is
limitedJ researchers have not yet described how to determine when an e7act level of the consensus is
reached in elphi(H In order to ensure an ade2uate level of strictness placed on the panel members with
&<

respect to coming into consensus# the predetermined level of consensus for this study was set at ?%K(
Smith et al( E$%&&F used a consensus level of ?%K(
ue to the comple7 and challenging nature of construction# engineering# and management
research# in which scientific methods of 2uantitative data collection may not be applicable# the elphi
'echni2ue is suitable to gather answers to survey and brain-storming based research techni2ues
E!allowellI6ambatese# $%&%F(In survey research# bias can surface due to a number of factors( 9hen
individuals within a group are allowed to converse about the study# bias may potentially harm the results
of the study when trying to get the panel members to agree on a particular issue E!allowellI6ambatese#
$%&%F( 'he elphi techni2ue# best addresses this type of bias by eliminating dominant influence of
particular panel members participating in the study E!allowellI6ambatese# $%&%F( ominant influence is
controlled in the elphi process by having the panel members remain anonymous throughout the entire
research pro*ect E!allowellI6ambatese# $%&%F(
Selection of panel mem#ers
"nce the research 2uestion was identified# the ne7t phase of the pro*ect was to identify and
assemble the panel of industry e7perts to participate in the study( 'he elphi techni2ue differs from other
forms of survey based research because research participants must meet a pre-determined level of criteria
to be involved in elphi studies E!allowellI6ambatese# $%&%F( G 'n te 2elpi process te most
In H E!allowellI6ambatese# $%&%# p( &%&F(
important facet of a panel member is teir le(el of e3pertise
efforts to assure a healthy balance of academic and professional e7perience and ensure that
panelists have distinguished themselves as e7perts in construction safety and health#
predetermined criteria for panel member selection was re2uired of potential panel members in
order to participate in the study( 'his pre-determined e7pertise re2uirements placed on participants
allows the study to be generali.eable to the safety and health sector of the construction industry( /anel
member selection is very important with respect to ensuring that the results of the study are generali.eable
to the safety and health sector of the construction industry( Because of the wide use of technology among
&>

environmental# safety# and health professional sJ social media was thought to be the best method available
of identifying potential e7perts that best suited the pro*ects goals(
In order to gain access to construction industry professionals and a potential unbiased pool of
e7perts# efforts were placed into invitations being delivered through the 0merican $ociety of $afety
4ngineers +onstruction 5ractice $pecialty list serve on 4in,edIn(com( 'he group had over $A%% members
in -ugust $%&$( -n original posting stating G 0ttention +onstruction $afety 43perts6 Researc
H was posted along with a brief pro*ect description and a lin, to cloud server storage(
.pportunity
Contained in cloud server storage was aninvitation document# located in 0ppendi3 0.'his invitation
document described the pro*ect goals# pro*ect definitions# participant 2ualification re2uirements#
participant e7pectations# pro*ect timeline# submission instructions# and contact information( /otential
panel members were as,ed to download the document from the cloud server to their computers hard
drive# answer the 2uestionnaire that outlined the 2ualifications for participation# re-save the document to
their computers hard drive# and email the completed document to the researchers personal email address
using the sub*ect line of G
'n(itation Letter(H - two-wee, time frame was allotted to gather the e7pert
panelmembers before other options were to be considered(
For this study# a points system is used for the classification of e7pertsdue to the fact that
it allowed for some fle7ibility with r espect to both academic and field e7perience( Both academic
e7perience and field e7perience ar e vital to the application of the final study results( 'he elphi
process addresses this potential issue with a well rounded panel of e7perts that will review the
groups collective opinion about the research topic( 'his point system is based on the relative
time commitment re2uired to successfully complete each of the achievements or e7periences and
is based on the best *udgment of the writers and practices of prof essional licensing agencies
E!allowell # $%&%F( In order to meet a minimum level of 2ualification using the point I6ambatese
system shown# it is suggested that panelists score at least one E&F point in four ECF different
&?

achievement or e7perience categories and possess a minimum of eighteen E&?F total points in
order to 2ualify for participation(!allowell E$%&%F suggests that participants score I6ambatese
eleven E&&F points using this 2ualification system( In efforts to ,eep this study specificto the
construction industry there was a re2uirement that panel members have a minimum of seven E>F
years professional e7perience in the construction industry Ei(e( Seven E>F years e7perience
relating to# suitable for# or engaged in the construction industryF(Setting pre2ualification
re2uirements at eighteen E&?F total points allows this research pro*ect to fit both the re2uirements
of !allowell E$%&%F and the minimum of seven E>F years professional e7perience( I6ambatese
'herefore to participate the participants must score eighteen E&?F total points to meet the
pre2ualification re2uirements(
Num#er of .anelists
/revious research studies suggest using &%-&$ panelists for elphi studies
E!allowellI6ambatese# $%&%F( For the course of this study# fourteen E&CF panelistswere utili.ed in efforts
to account for a potential two E$F paneliststo dropout from the study( In order to be fair to all potential
e7pert participants# the first fourteen E&CF applicable candidates that submitted the invitation letter within
'able C(% the two-wee, time frame were selected and the posting was removed from 4in,edIn(com(
describes the point system utili.ed for distinguishing e7pertise in the field of "ccupational
Safety and !ealth in the construction industr y(
Table 4.0+riteria for selection of e3pert panel members. 7ote study re8uirement of construction industry
e3perience(
chievement or /8perience .oints A/achB 7y .oint total
Pears of professional e7perience > Eminimum of >
pointsF
/rofessional registration such as /rofessional +ngineer E/+F# :
4icensed -rchitect E-I-F# Certified Safety /rofessional
ECS/F# -ssociated 1is, )anager E-1)F
Invited to present at a conference %(;
&A

)ember of a nationally recogni.ed committee &
Chair of a nationally recogni.ed committee :
/eer-reviewed *ournal article E/rimary or Secondary 9riterF $
Faculty member at an accredited university :
9riter=editor of a boo, C
9riter of a boo, chapter $
-dvanced egrees:
BS ECivil engineering# C+)# "ccupational Safety# or other C
related fieldsF
)S ECivil engineering# C+)# "ccupational Safety# or other $
related fieldsF
/h(( ECivil engineering# C+)# "ccupational Safety# or other C
related fieldsF
"2"L
.anel 7em#er 4emographics
In the two wee,s following the original posting on 4in,edIn(com# fourteen E&CF social media
users responded to the posting and submitted their document containing their completed 2ualification
2uestionnaire( "f the fourteen E&CF responses# &%%K of total respondents met the predetermined
2ualification re2uirements and wereclassified as constructionsafety industry e7perts for the purposes of
claiming e7pertise to participate in this study# and according to elphi techni2ue literature in the
construction industry( 'he posting was then removed from 4in,edIn(com and personal emails were sent
bac, to all fourteen E&CF panel members as a than, you for their agreement to participate along with
G1ound &H of the study( 'he following
Tables#9.0) -.0): ;.0% show the demographics of the group
members(
$%

Table 5.00(erage points based on categories of e3perience
Num#er of
participants within
Category of /8perience this category verage C .oints
Pears of professional e7perience per participant &C $<(&?
/articipants holding professional registration such as
/rofessional +ngineer E/+F# 4icensed -rchitect E-I-F#
Certified Safety /rofessional ECS/F# -ssociated 1is,
)anager E-1)F &$ :(>A
/articipants invited to present at a conference &: :(C<
/articipants who are an active member of a nationally
recogni.ed committee &$ &($A
/articipants that are an active chair of a nationally
recogni.ed committee ; $(&C
/articipants who author peer-reviewed *ournal article
E/rimary or Secondary 9riterF C $($A
/articipants serving as a faculty member at an
$
accredited university %(C:
/articipants who are a writer= editor of a boo, & %($A
/articipants who are a writer of a boo, chapter & %(&C
/articipants holding BS ECivil engineering# C+)#
"ccupational Safety# or other related fieldsF && :(&C
/articipants holding )S ECivil engineering# C+)#
"ccupational Safety# or other related fieldsF A &($A
/articipants holding /h(( ECivil engineering# C+)#
"ccupational Safety# or other related fieldsF $ %(;>
Table 6.05ercentage based on educational le(el
Category of /8perience .ercentage
/ercentage of participants holding no post secondary education $&(C:K
/ercentage of participants holding BS ECivil engineering# C+)#
"ccupational Safety# or other related fieldsF >?(;>K
/ercentage of participants holding )S ECivil engineering# C+)#
"ccupational Safety# or other related fieldsF <C($AK
/ercentage of participants holding /h(( ECivil engineering# C+)#
"ccupational Safety# or other related fieldsF &C($AK
$&

Table 7.00(erage years of e3perience among educational le(els
/ducational level verage Dears of /8perience
/articipants holding no post secondary education :$(%
/articipants holding BS ECivil engineering# C+)# "ccupational
Safety# or other related fieldsF $C(<
/articipants holding )S ECivil engineering# C+)# "ccupational
Safety# or other related fieldsF $;(C
/articipants holding /h(( ECivil engineering# C+)# "ccupational
Safety# or other related fieldsF $$(?
Table 8.02emograpics of te panel members construction sector.
Industry Sector Count Count
Construction Industry Consultation C $?(;>K
Commercial=Industrial Construction C $?(;>K
Industrial )echanical Fabrication=Installation & >(&CK
9ater 'reatment= 9aste 9ater 'reatment Facility Construction & >(&CK
Construction Safety and !ealth 'raining Services & >(&CK
No 1esponse from /articipant : $&(C:K
0ound $
In effortsto answer the research 2uestion and identify the most important ,nowledge-
basedcompetencies for the frontline supervisor=foreman with respect to improving *ob site safety
performance# participants were as,ed to reducethe comprehensivelist of ,nowledge-based competencies
to a reasonably attainable number during the first round of data collection( uring G1ound &Hparticipants
were as,ed to select twenty E$%F of the thirty-two E:$F available ,nowledge-based competencies( G1ound
&H is located in 0ppendi3 0(
'wenty E$%F out of thirty-two E:$F was the number re2uested that the panelists select due the
statistical values of the available ,nowledge-based competencies for selection( -lmost <%K of the total
potential selections fall under the ,nowledge-based competencies from the peer reviewed literature along
with C%(<$K of the total potential selections encompassing the list of "S!- :% !our "utreach 'raining
topics( Selecting twenty E$%F out of thirty-two E:$F competencies allows for a <$(;K chance of each
potential variable being selected( 9ith twenty E$%F possible selections allowed# participants were forced
$$

to ma,e a decision based on a Gcost benefitH approach( /articipants had to weigh the cost and benefit of
each potential selection in efforts to ma,e a *udgment about the most important twenty E$%F ,nowledge-
based competencies( !aving a close to ;%=;% split of highly technical E"S!- :% !our topicsF and more
managerial=personal competencies ECompetencies from literatureF# participants were forced to select
competencies from either source or a combination of the two( /articipants were not as,ed to order ran,
the selections because of the impracticality and burdensomeness the re2uest would have placed on
participants( 'he purpose of the research was therefore not to ran, competencies(
'he comprehensive list of ,nowledge-based competencies# included in Table 2.0) was randomi.ed
in efforts to control bias ./ersonal emails were then sent to each participants email address along with
G1ound &H that included definitions# survey instructions# pro*ect schedule# survey 2uestionnaire#
submission instructions# and researcher contact information( /articipants were allotted a two-wee, time
frame to complete the document( 'wo reminder emails were sent out at seven E>F and ten E&%F days(
/articipants were as,ed todenoteeach of their individual twenty E$%F selections by placing an GDH into the
column beside each of the chosen selections and were also as,ed to provide a brief &-$ sentence
e7planation of each selection( 'hese e7planations for each selection were complied and used as feedbac,
in efforts to allow the groups collective insight to weigh in on the individual perspectives of participants
during G1ound $(HBy administering controlled feedbac,#the variability of future responses throughout
upcoming G1ounds E$-:FHdecreased and allowed the group to come closer to the target consensus(
0ound $ 0esult
'he results from G1ound &H show the upper twenty E$%F ,nowledge-based competencies selected
by the e7pert panel(-s shown in Table 8.0J four ECF competencies were selected &%%K of the time# one E&F
was selected A$(?<K# four ECF ?;(>&K# three E:F >?(;>K# one E&F >&(C:K# four ECF <$(CAK#two E$F
;>(&CK# and one E&F selected ;%(%%K of the time amongst all panel members( ,igure 2.0shows a
graphical representation of the G1ound &H results along with the relationship of the four-way tie('he four-
way tie is a tie for individual competencies that were selected <$(CAK by all panel members and is
$:

particularly important for the implementation of G1ound $(H Since all four of these ,nowledge-based
competencies hold the same value in percent chosen they must all be included in the upcoming roundEsF(
-s part of the elphi process# participants were as,ed to provide a brief &-$ sentence e7planation
for each variable selected( - listing# located in 0ppendi3 +# contains each of the competencies selected by
the e7pert panel and displays each comment=feedbac, that was received along with the corresponding
selection(
&%%K
&%%(%%K
A:K
?<K
>AK
?%(%%K
>&K
<CK
;>K
<%(%%K
;%K
C:K
C%(%%K
:<K
$AK
$&K
$%(%%K
%(%%K
Figure 1.0 +ompetencies selected by percentage #so"n ig to lo" percentage of selection%.Te
dased line denotes te upper t"enty #20%. Te asteris!s #<% so" te relationsip of te four-"ay tie. Te
four "ay tie relationsip is particularly important to te implementation of =Round 2.>
$C

?pper t"enty #20% !no"ledge-based competencies selected in @Round 1> "it accompanying
Table 9.0
percentages of selection.
Num#er 3pper fifteen A$)B !nowledge-#ased competencies
of "imes
Selected
&C &$ - Knowledge and application of electrical ha.ards
&: - Knowledge and application of fall protection
&? - Knowledge of their contractors safety and healthprogram
&A - Knowledge of use and selection of personal protective and lifesaving e2uipment
&: :% - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ards
associated with GExcavationsH
&$ $ - +stablishing effective communication
A - Knowledge of effective pre *ob planning and the organi.ation of daily wor,flow
&; - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ards
associated with GCaugt in !et"eenH ha.ards
$A - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ards
associated with G#ca$$ol%ingH
&& > - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ards
associated with GCranes& %erric's& oists& elevators& conve(ors H
H
&C - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention G #truc' b(
ha.ards
&< - Knowledge of managing health ha.ards in construction
&% C - Knowledge of routine=non-routine wor, tas,s
A & - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ards
associated with G#tairs an% la%%ersH
; - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ards
associated with G)an% an% *o"er tools H
&& - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ards
associated with G H
Fire *revention an% *rotection
Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of $? -
ha.ards associated with G H
+aterials an%ling& storage& use& an% %is*osal
$C - Setting wor,er tas,s and responsibilities ?
$; - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of
ha.ards associated with G H
6elding and hot wor!
? Q @ob planning and the organi.ation of wor,flow >

0ound "wo
'he purpose of G1ound $#H was to have the panel members narrow down the list from twenty E$%F
,nowledge-based competencies to fifteen E&;F in no specific order( In G1ound $H participants had to
eliminate five E;F competencies that were previously selected in G1ound &(H uring G1ound $#H collective
feedbac, of the group was vitally importantfor panelist to utili.e with regard for ma,ing this
determination and was used in efforts to allow participants to review anonymous counterparts decisions
regarding their reasoning s for selecting specific competencies( Fifteen E&;Fout of thirty-two E:$F was the
number re2uested that the panelists select due the statistical values of the available ,nowledge -based
competencies for selection( Fifteen allowed for a fair chance of each competency to be chosen(
uring this round# the comprehensive list of ,nowledge-based competencies from G1ound & #H
was restructured in efforts to reflect the results of G1ound &H and allow the panelist to better understand
which ,nowledge-basedcompetencies were most important based on the collective insight of the group(
'his was accomplished by arranging each selection by its order of importance# from the top down( 'he
competencies that had the highest percentage of selection by the panel members were placed at the
beginning of the list# and followed down the listing in descending order of selection(G1ound $H included
pro*ect definitions# survey instructions# pro*ect schedule# the graphical representation of the values based
on the completion of G1ound &#H anonymous feedbac,# submission instructions# and contact information(
/articipants were allowed a two wee, time frame to complete the document( 'wo reminder emails were
sent out at seven E>F and ten E&%F days(
uring G1ound $#H panel members were as,ed to review the compilation of feedbac, along with
graphical representation of the values based on the completion of G1ound &Hand were as,ed to denote
each of their fifteen E&;F selections by placing an GDH into the column beside each of the ir individual
selections( /anelists were also as,ed to provide a brief &-$ sentence e7planation for each selection only if
the collective insight from the group caused the panelist to change his=her mind about a particular
decision( uring G1ound $#H there was a space allotted for te7t entry that was auto formatted within the
$<

listing to underline the te7t when the panelist gave feedbac, in G1ound $(H 'his w as done in efforts to
differentiate the feedbac, between rounds G& I $(H 'he results# including feedbac,# were to be the basis
for each panelist decision regarding the selection of the upper fifteen E&;F,nowledge-based competencies
again in G1ound :(H
0ound & 0esults
uring the two-wee, time frame following the implementation of G1ound $#H all potential
participants completed the 2uestionnaire( -s the results show# the collective insight of the group did in
fact persuade individuals decisions in G1ound $H and has tightened the level of the groups consensus(
9ith the elphi techni2ue# the process is complete when the study reaches target consensus
E!allowellI6ambatese# $%&%F( 'here are two methods to determine the GConsensusH of the group
E!allowellI6ambatese# $%&%F( Both GStabilityH and G'arget ConsensusH are used to ma,e this
determination E!allowellI6ambatese# $%&%F( GStabilityH is based on the percent of change of variables
within the top fifteen competencies between two subse2uent rounds and GConsensusH is measured by
averaging the percent chosen values of each competency within the final top fifteen selections
E!allowellI6ambatese# $%&%F( 'he results of G1ound $H show that the group is A:(<K GStableH with a
GConsensusH level of A;($:K( 'wo E$F competencies were selected &%%K of the time# three E:F A$(:&K#
three E:F ?C(<$K# three E:F ><(A$K# four ECF <A($:K# and one E&F competency was selected by <&(;CK of
all participants( 'he results of G1ound $H are shown below in ,igure 1.0.Comments from G1ound $H are
written in underlined font and located in 0ppendi3 +.Table *.0 so"s te competencies selected in
@Round 2> and teir accompanying percentages.
$>

&%%K &%%K
&%%(%%K
A:K
?<K ?<K ?<K
>AK >AK
?%(%%K
>&K
<CK
;>K
<%(%%K
C:K C:K
C%(%%K :<K :<K
$&K $&K
$%(%%K
&CK
>K >K >K >K >K >K >K
%K %K %K
%(%%K
Figure 2.0 +ompetencies selected by percentage. #Aalues are arranged in te order as so"n from
@Round 1> results for consistency and to better so" te mo(ement in percent cosen of eac
(ariable.%Te dased line denotes te upper fifteen #19%.
Table 10.0 ?pper fifteen #19% !no"ledge-based competencies selected in @Round 2> "it
accompanying percentages of selection.
.ercent 3pper fifteen A$)B !nowledge-#ased competencies
Selected
&C &A - Knowledge of use and selection of personal protective and lifesaving e2uipment
A - Knowledge of effective pre *ob planning and the organi.ation of daily wor,flow
&: &$ - Knowledge an application of electrical ha.ards
&: - Knowledge and application of fall protection
&? - Knowledge of their contractors safety and health program
&$ &; - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ards
associated with GCaugt in !et"eenH ha.ards
H
&C - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention G #truc' b(
ha.ards
$ - +stablishing effective communication
$?

&& $A - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ards
associated with G #ca$$ol%ingH
:% - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ards
associated with G ExcavationsH
&% > - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ards
associated with GCranes& %erric's& oists& elevators& conve(ors H
&< - Knowledge of managing health ha.ards in construction
C - Knowledge of routine=non-routine wor, tas,s
& - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ards
associated with G H
#tairs an% la%%ers
A && - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ards
H
associated with GFire *revention an% *rotection
2ther <uestions
!aving already met the consensus re2uirements post G1ound $#H other 2uestions were thought to
be of importance with respect to the application of this study( ' able 10.0 shows three 2uestions that were
as,ed post G1ound $H( For the purpose of future research# participants were as,ed to give comments on
the elphi process and lessons learned through this research pro*ect( /articipants were also as,ed to give
their professional opinion on whether or not they consider the "S!- :% !our "utreach 'raining to be
sufficient ,nowledge-based training for the line level supervisor(
Table 11.0 .ter 8uestions as!ed
<uestions 3tili;ed in 0ound '
Comments about the GelphiH process and lessons learnedR
o you consider the "S!- :% !our "utreach 'raining=Card to be sufficient ,nowledge-based training
for the front-line construction supervisorR /lease answer yes or no and provide reasoning(
/articipation too, a slight downturn when the final two 2uestions were as,ed( Several reminder
emails were sent out in the three wee,s following implementation of the third round( +leven E>?(<KF of
the &Cpotential panelists responded to other 2uestions( /articipants were as,ed to gather information on
the thoughts of the elphi 'echni2ue as viewed from the e7pert panel( 'his information will be
particularly beneficial to future researchers to whom may wish to utili.e the elphi
$A

techni2ue(/articipants were as,ed to provide a brief &-$ sentence comment about their opinions of the
elphi techni2ue and lessons they Ethe participantsF learned through the study(
+leven of the fourteen participants unanimously agreed that the elphi process is applicable to
Construction# +ngineering# and )anagement research( /articipants said that it was good to be able to see
the *udgments of their anonymous counterparts and that the feedbac, helped them come to consensus(
/articipants e7pressed value in clear communication about pro*ect goals and e7pectations( /anelists saw
the elphi process to be a beneficial way to summari.e and prioriti.e things based on multiple
professionalSs opinions and e7perience( (
In efforts to attempt to gain insight on the panel members opinion about the "S!- :% !our Card
being an industry standard# panelists were as,ed to give comment on their opinion of whether or not they
considered the "S!- :% !our Card to be sufficient ,nowledge-based safety training for the front-line
construction supervisor(
+leven of the fourteen participants that responded to the 2uestion unanimously agreed that the "S!-
:% !our "utreach 'raining is necessary# but is only baseline ,nowledge-based training for the
construction supervisor( -ll twelve participants consider the training to be good for the supervisor to
possess# but agree that there are others that must be incorporated into the training for the training to be
effective at educating the supervisors on the root causes of wor,place accidents Ei(e( effective
communication# pre *ob planning# and non routine wor,F( /articipants stated the following in the
2uestionnaire:
7o. 10 our is only basic general !no"ledge tat sould be re8uired of e(ery super(isor. 7eed full
understanding of safety program and site-specific safety plans.
7o. 't sol(es te compliance side not te o(erall 8uality of leader. .$/0 10 sould be part of e(ery
super(isor toug)
:%

Bes and no. 'n addition to te tecnical !no"ledge pro(ided tru 10-10 r training) super(isor must
a(e training to direct and manage tose seCe super(ises.
:&

C-."/0 (: C2NCL3SI2NS N4 4ISC3SSI2N
'he role of supervisory management is vital to both safety and productivity of a construction sites
line level wor,force( 'hrough this study# a predetermined level of consensus was established among the
e7pert panel with regard to the fifteen most important ,nowledge-based competencies for the front-line
supervisor=foreman to possess in efforts to improve construction site safety performance(/anel e7perts
also reached an agreement regarding the :% !our "S!- Card as being an important training tool for the
supervisor but suggest that it is only a minimum for ,nowledge-based supervisory safety training(
)eeting the intended research goals# this study has provided guidance on necessary competencies relating
to wor,=tas, specifics# *ob planning# organi.ing of wor,flow# establishing effective communication# and a
,nowledge of routine and non routine wor, tas,s as being vital,nowledge-based components of training
that have the potential to improve the safety performance of a construction site(
'hroughout this research# bias and group influence were both minimi.ed in efforts to strengthen
the validity of the study( 'he data from the resulting final survey 2uestionnaires are only as strong as
individual panel member commitment to completing each 2uestionnaire( If research participants simply
pic,ed randomly or blindly at values# rushed because of time constraints# or had inade2uate instruction
and=or e7pectations# the completed 2uestionnaires would lac, true professional *udgment and therefore
bias would result( 'he conse2uences of minimi.ing bias in this study ma,e the results valid to the
construction industry( 'he results of this research should be given consideration when trying to develop
,nowledge-based training programs for construction supervisors=foremen( Involving the competencies
identified throughout this research study has the potential to increase a construction sites safety
performance(
'he primary strength of this study was the anonymity of the e7pert panel members throughout the
research# clear guidance and instruction# and ade2uate time allowed for the completion of each round(
'his anonymity reduced dominant influence and helped minimi.e the desire for harmony within the panel
of e7perts that has the potential to override true professional *udgment( Keeping all research participants
:$

anonymous also allowed all opinions to be stated as desired because professional colleagues have no way
to determine Gwho said whatH in the feedbac, section of the study 2uestionnaires( uring this study#
conflicting arguments arose in which some participants disagreed strongly with other participants about
specific competencies( !owever# participants also freely e7pressed agreement about others( 'hese
agreements and disagreements helped influenceother participants both towards and away from selecting
specific competencies in future rounds( /roof of this is identified in the tightening of both stability and
consensus between rounds one and two('he results of G1ound $H show that the groups final results are
A:(<K GStableH with a GConsensusH level of A;($:K(
'he primary wea,ness of this study lies in the bias of the invitational methods of the panel
members( In this research study# the e7pert panel was assembled from one social media source( -lthough
social media is a great channel to gain access to construction industry e7perts for participation in research
studies# multiple channels should be used in efforts to obtain research participants( 'his study only
obtained the *udgments of construction industry e7perts that utili.ed a singular social media site and# as
designed# had little opportunity of reaching other construction industry e7perts that# for un,nown reasons#
do not participate in the social media used( In efforts to better control bias# multiple sites on 4in,edIn(com
could have been useful along with other means of outreach into the construction industry that would have
allowed for a broader panel of construction safety e7perts(
Future researchers are encouraged to utili.e the elphi approach to meet research goals that
re2uire obtaining consensus based results( -n interesting outcome of this study was the drop in
participation after the implementation of the second round of the study( 'he number of participants
dropped from fourteen E&CF to eleven E&&F E$$(CKF in the third round of subse2uent data collection along
with an increase in turnaround time of the third round( It is important that there be ade2uate participation
in future elphi studies to account for a high dropout rate after the third round( 'his dropout rate may be
related to either participant s personal commitment or disinterest( -lthough personal and conflicting
commitments cannot be controlled by the researcher# it is suggested that efforts be placed on all
::

communication being clear and concise with respect to what is being re2uested( Clear and concise
information=direction allows participants to be able to participate with minimal confusion about pro*ect
goals and e7pectations and has the potential to minimi.e disinterest among participants(
Nevada state law re2uires construction supervisors to obtain a :% !our "S!- card based( 'he :%
!our "S!- Card# as identified through this elphi study# is not sufficient ,nowledge-based training for
the construction supervisor( 1esearch participants viewed the :% !our Card as a minimum that should
include training to strengthen communication# leadership# and problem solving s,ills( Furthermore# the :%
!our "S!- Card should not be allowed as the prere2uisite for new employees ta,ing on roles and
responsibilities relating to managing wor,place safety and health issues( )any undergraduate
construction management college curriculums include the "S!- :% !our card as a prere2uisite to
graduation( 6ambatese E$%%:F surveyed construction and civil engineering programs and found an
emphasis on "S!- regulationsJ the "S!- :%-hour certification is earned in <&K of the courses# while
"S!- &%-hour certification is earned in $?K of the courses( -s a standard construction industry practice
students are often placed into roles of safety and health management upon college graduation( It is
especially important to understand that the industry s standard practice of considering the :% !our Card
as prere2uisite into safety management is only the minimum for ,nowledge-based training and must be
improved(
In conclusion# this pro*ect has contributed to the body of ,nowledge by obtaining necessary
,nowledge-based competencies that should be incorporated into ,nowledge-based supervisory training
aimed at strengthening the competency of the frontline construction supervisor=foreman( -s with most
research# the findings uncover other 2uestions only to be answered by future research( It would be useful
to perform a study that identifies the most important ,nowledge-based competencies for the construction
supervisor through the *udgment of the line level wor,force( 9hen management understands the needs of
the line level wor,force# management can tailor the safety manage ment systems of an organi.ation to
encompass an e2ual mi7 of efforts that have the potential to affect all levels of the wor,force( 0tili.ing
:C

results from such a study# emphasis may be place on blending the *udgments of both construction safety
e7perts and the line level wor,force( 'his could help understand whether or not there e7ists a gap between
the perceptions of both wor,ers and construction safety e7perts with respect to the research topic(
Furthermore# it would be of value to evaluate which ,nowledge-based competencies construction
supervisors=foremen feel are most important with respect to improving the safety performance of
construction sites under their daily supervision(
:;

0/F/0/NC/S
-merican Industrial !ygiene -ssociationI -merican National Standards Institute E$%%;F( 07$'C0'/0
D10-2009( Fairfa7# 8-: -merican Industrial !ygiene -ssociation(
Bureau of 4abor Statistics E$%&$F( 0ll carts) census of fatal occupational inEuries) 2010 ( 1etrieved from
http:==www(bls(gov=iif=oshwc=cfoi=cfch%%%A(pdf
Bur,e# )(# Smith-Crowe# K(# Salvador# 1(# Chan-Serafin# S(# Smith# -(# ISonesh# S( E$%&&F( 'he
dread factor: !ow ha.ards and safety training influence learning and performance(
Fournal of 0pplied 5sycology # *-E&F# C<->%(
Cheyne# -(# Finneran# -(# !artley# 1(# I 6ibb# -( E$%&&F( 4essons learned from the 4ondon $%&$ games
construction pro*ect( Learning Legacy# 1etrieved from
http:==learninglegacy(independent(gov(u,=documents=pdfs=health-and-safety=$<%-communication-
action-aw(pdf
Conchie# S(# 'aylor# /(# I Charlton# -( E$%&&F( 'rust and distrust in safety leadership: )irror reflectionsR
$afety $cience# CA# &$%?-&$&C(
insdag# (# Biggs# !(# ISheahan# 8( E$%%?F(0nderstanding and defining ohIs competency( $afety
$cience# C<ECF# <&A-<::(
+dum-Fotwe# F(I)cCaffer# 1( E$%%%F( eveloping pro*ect management competency: perspectives
from( 'nternational Fournal of 5roEect Ganagement # &?E$F# &&&-&$C(
Flin# 1(# )earns# K(# " Connor# /(# IBryden# 1( E$%%%F( )easuring safety climate: identifying the
common features( $afety $cience# :CE&-:F# &>>-&A$(
6ambatese# @( E$%%:F( Safety +mphasis in 0niversity +ngineering and Construction /rograms(
'nternational eFournal of +onstruction ( http:==www(bcn(ufl(edu=ie*c=pinde7=;?=gambatese(pdf
6illen# )(# Balt.# (# 6assel# )(# Kirsch# 4(# and 8accaro# ( E$%%$F(/erceived safety climate# *ob
demands# and cowor,er support among union and nonunion in*ured construction wor,ers( Fournal
of $afety Researc# ::E&F# ::-;&(
!allowell# )( I6ambatese# @( E$%&%F( Bualitative research: -pplication of the elphi method to C+)
research( Fournal of +onstruction 4ngineering and Ganagement # &:< E&F# AA-&%>(
!alperin# K( I )cCann# )( E$%%CF(-n evaluation of scaffold safety at construction sites( Fournal of
$afety Researc # :;E$F# &C&-&;%(
!in.e# @( I /ar,er# !( E&A>?F( Safety: /roductivity and *ob pressures( Fournal of +onstruction 2i(ision #
&%CEC%&F# $>-:C(
!in.e# @(I 6ordon# F( E&A>AF( Supervisor-wor,er relationship affects in*ury rate( Fournal of te
+onstruction 2i(ision # +E%:F# &C?C?(
!in.e# @( E&A?&F( !uman aspects of construction safety( Fournal of te +onstruction 2i(ision # &<%<?# <&-
>&(
:<

!ofmann# (I)orgeson# F( E&AAAF( Safety-related behavior as a social e7change: 'he role of perceived
organi.ational support and leaderQmember e7change ( Fournal of 0pplied 5sycology # ?CE$F#
$?<-$A<(
!oley# +(# Feeley# @(# i7on# @(# I 9hitta,er# 8( E$%%>F(-n e7ploration of the use of simple statistics to
measure consensus and stability in elphi studies( &G+ Gedical Researc Getodology # > E;$F#
&-&%(
!op,ins# -( E$%%;F( $afety) culture and ris! ( North 1yde: CC! -ustralia 4imited(
!uang# P(# Chen# /(# Krauss# -(# I 1ogers# ( E$%%CF( Buality of the e7ecution of corporate safety
policies and employee safety outcomes: -ssessing the moderating role of supervisor safety
support and the mediating role of employee safety control( Fournal of &usiness and 5sycology #
&?ECF# C?:-;%<(
4angford# (# 1owlinson# S(# ISawacha# +( E$%%%F( Safety behavior and safety management: Its influence
on the attitudes of wor,ers in the 0K construction industry( 4ngineering) +onstruction) and
0rcitecture Ganagement # > E$F# &::-&C%(
4eather# /( E$%%>F( Safety and accidents in the construction industry: - wor, design perspective( Hor! :
$tress6 0n 'nternational Fournal of Hor!) /ealt :.rganisations # 1E$F# &<>-&>C(
4ingard# !(# Coo,e# '(# IBlismas# N( E$%%AF( 6roup -level safety climate in the -ustralian construction
- -
industry: within group homogeneity and between group differences in road construction and
maintenance(+onstruction Ganagement and 4conomics #2;ECF# C&A-C:$(
)anuele# F( E$%%?F( 0d(anced safety management focusing on D10 and serious inEury pre(ention. 9iley-
Interscience(
)c8itti# (# 8i# /(# I +ng# )( E$%%AF( 'he effect of supervisory training in lost-time in*uryrates in
construction( +onstruction $afety 0ssociation of .ntario (
)ichael# @(# 6uo# L(# 4as9iedenbec,t# @(# I 1ay# C( E$%%<F( /roduction supervisor impacts on
subordinatesS safety outcomes: -n investigation of leader-member e7change and safety
communication( @ ournal of $afety Researc # :>E;F# C<A-C>>(
)itropoulos# /( ICupido# 6( E$%%AF( 'he role of production and teamwor, practices in construction
safety: - cognitive model and an empirical case study( Fournal of $afety Researc # 40# $<;-$>;(
)ohamed# S( E$%%$F(Safety climate in construction site environments( Fournal of +onstruction
4ngineering and Ganagement # &$?E;F# :>;Q?C(
)urugappa# K( ISrinivaaan# -( E$%%>F(@ow do shop-floor supervisora allocate their timeR(
'nternational Fournal of 5roduction 4conomics # &%;E&F# A>-&&;(
"ccupational Safety and !ealth -dministration E$%&&# -prilF( .utreac training program construction
industry procedures ( 1etrieved
fromhttp:==www(osha(gov=dte=outreach=construction=constructionTprocedures(pdf
"ccupational Safety and !ealth -dministration(En(d(F( 1etrieved from
http:==www(osha(gov=S4'C=competentperson=inde7(html
:>

"diorne# 6( E&AA&F( 'he new breed of supervisor: 4eaders in self-managed wor, teams( $uper(ision#
;$E?F# &C-&>(
/eterson# ( E&AAAF( $afety super(ision( E$nd( ed(F( es/laines: -merican Society of Safety +ngineers(
Shohet# I(I4aufer# -( E&AA&F( 9hat does the construction foreman doR( +onstruction Ganagement and
4conomics# *E<F# ;<;-;><( 1etrieved from http:==d7(doi(org=&%(&%?%=%&CC<&AA&%%%%%%C:
Simard# )( I)archand# -( E&AACF('he behaviour of first-line supervisors in accident prevention and
effectiveness in occupational safety( $afety $cience# &>E:F# &<A-&?;(
Smith# C(# Laslaws,i# C(# Lheng# L(# Cobbin# (# Cochrane# S(# 4enon# 6(# 4oyeung# B( )eier# /( 9alsh#
S(# Changli# C(# Lhang# -(# Lhu# D(# IBensoussan# -( E$%&&F( evelopment of an instrument to
assess the 2uality of acupuncture: 1esults from a elphi process( Te Fournal of 0lternati(e and
+omplementary Gedicine) &> E;F# CC&QC;$(
State of Nevada( 7rs -18.*;;# E$%&$F( 1etrieved from http:==www(leg(state(nv(us=N1S=N1S-<&?(html -
the following are the identifiers within the legal doc( N1S <&?(A<>=N1S <&?(A?(
Swuste# /(# Fri*ters# -(# I6uldenmund# F( E$%&$F( Is it possible to influence safety in the building sectorR
- literature review e7tending from &A?% until the present( $afety $cience # ;%# &:::-&:C:(
'he Center for Construction 1esearch and 'raining(E$%&$F( +valuation of the implementation and impact
of a )assachusetts construction ohs training rule( 1etrieved from
http:==www(lhsfna(org=files=1oelofs-1eportT"!S-'rainingTweb(pdf
'orner# )(I/ousette# -( E$%%AF(Safety in construction Q a comprehensive description of the
characteristics of high safety standards in construction wor,# from the combined perspective of
supervisors and e7perienced wor,ers( Fournal of $afety Researc # C%E<F# :AA-C%A(
:?

../N4IE
:A

../N4IE B
ear Future 1esearch /articipant#
)y name is ylan !ardison and I am a graduate student in the "ccupational Safety /rogram at +ast
Carolina 0niversity under the guidance of r( )ichael Behm( I am currently conducting research in
fulfillment of a )aster of Science in "ccupational Safety( I am currently searching for participants to
assist with my graduate research entitled: G+valuating Supervisor= Foreman Competency: - elphi
Study(H
-NSI=-I!- L&%-$%%;: 'he -merican National Standard for "ccupational !ealth and Safety
)anagement Systems# states that GCompetence is normally achieved or demonstrated through one or
more of the following: +ducation# training# mentoring# e7perience# certification# licensing# and
performance assessmentH E-I!-# $%%;F(For the purpose of this study# supervisor=foreman will be defined
as any individual# on the *obsite# to whom responsibility and authority is given over the wor,ers in efforts
to meet the production demands set by upper level management( 'he ob*ective of this study is to
determine the most desirable,nowledge-based competencies for the construction supervisor=foreman
based on the *udgment of an e7pert panel( 'his research will utili.e input provided by an e7pert EelphiF
panel( I am currently searching for professionals and academics that have e7perience in construction
safety to serve as e7perts and provide their insights and opinions(
1e2uirements of the panel members will include the following:
-ction 'ime Commitment 'urn-around
Intro=/articipation ;-&% minutes $ wee,s
1ound & Input $% minutes : wee,s
EBegin first of -prilF
1ound $ Input &; minutes : wee,s
EBegin middle of -prilF
1ound : Input &; minutes : wee,s
EBegin first of )ayF
0nli,e many research methods# the elphi approach re2uires the strict dedication of the members(
)ember default can have detrimental impacts on the study( 'he total time commitment for participation
on the panel should be less than <% minutes over the course of $ U months(
- two wee, response period is allotted for each round and one wee, down time will be allotted between
each round for data collection# analysis# and feedbac,( - reminder will be sent out one wee, after the start
of each round(
In efforts to assure a healthy balance of academic and professional e7perience and ensure that
panelists have distinguished themselves as e7perts on thisparticular topic# a predetermined set of
panel member criteria for selection must be met in order to participate in the study( Below in
'able &(% lies a point system for distinguishing e7pertise in the field of "ccupational Safety and
!ealth e7pertise in the construction industry( 'his point system is based on the relative time
commitment re2uired to successfully complete each of the achievements or e7periences and is
based on the best *udgment of the writers and practices of professional licensing agencies( In
C%

order to meet a minimum level of 2ualification using the point system shown# it is suggested that
panelists score at least one point in four different achievement or e8perience categories and
a minimum of $F total points in order to ?ualify for participation ( In efforts to ,eep this
study generali.eable to the construction industry there is a re2uirement that panel members have
aminimum of seven A*B years prof essional e8perience in the construction industry Ei(e( Seven
E>F years e7perience relating to# suitable for# or engaged in the construction industry(F
Instructions: ownload this word(doc7 to your computer s hard drive using the download button that
will appear on the right side of the screen *ust above the document# complete the table# calculate your total
number of points# resave to your computer s hard drive# and email the completed form to
hardisond%?Vstudents(ecu(eduunder the sub*ect line of G/articipant BualificationH(
"a#le $%, 5articipant 8ualification re8uirements
chievement or /8perience .oints A/achB 7y .oint
"otal
Pears of professional e7perience &
/rofessional registration such as /rofessional +ngineer E/+F# : Ema7imum of <
4icensed -rchitect E-I-F# Certified Safety /rofessional ECS/F# pointsF
-ssociated 1is, )anager E-1)F
Invited to present at a conference %(;
)ember of a nationally recogni.ed committee &
Chair of a nationally recogni.ed committee :
/eer-reviewed *ournal article E/rimary or Secondary 9riterF $
Faculty member at an accredited university :
9riter=editor of a boo, C
9riter of a boo, chapter $
-dvanced egrees:
BS ECivil engineering# C+)# "ccupational Safety# or other related C
fieldsF
)S ECivil engineering# C+)# "ccupational Safety# or other related $
fieldsF
/h(( ECivil engineering# C+)# "ccupational Safety# or other related C
fieldsF
"2"L
C&

/lease note that all individual responses will be ,ept confidential and will not be used for anything
unrelated to this study( Summari.ed data will never identify individual participants( In appreciation of
your participation# a summary of the findings will be provided when the study concludes(
I hope that you will be willing to serve on this panel and ta,e an opportunity to provide your uni2ue
insight( If you have any 2uestions about the study you may contact me or my advisor# r( )ichael Behm#
using the contact information provided below(
I appreciate your time(
Sincerely#
ylan C( !ardison
-----------------------------
ylan !ardison
)(S( 'hesis Candidate
"ccupational Safety /rogram
ept( of 'echnology and Computer Science
+ast Carolina 0niversity
+ast Fifth Street# 6reenville# NC $>?;?-C:;: 0S-
'el(: $;$ ;<% &;$>J hardisond%?Vstudents(ecu(edu
)ichael Behm# /h# CS/
-ssociate /rofessor# "ccupational Safety
+ast Carolina 0niversity
$:& Slay !all
6reenville# NC $>?;?
"ffice: $;$(:$?(A<>C
+mail: behmmVecu(edu
C$

../N4IE C
Competency Selection 0easoning A"his is a #ulleted list of the groups collective
A.lace E reasoning for each competency previously selected in
G0ound $%H /ach item is as written in the feed#ac! of #eside each
selectionB G0ound $HB
&A( Knowledge of
0nanimous Q we all agree(
use and selection of 9ritten into the Site Safety and !ealth /rogram are //+
personal protective
re2uirements and use of lifesaving e2uipment# location of
and lifesaving
0rgent Care facilities# etc( 'he //+ is often our defense to
e2uipment
reduce assigned=assumed ris, to an acceptable level# and
emergency response is necessary to have a /lan in place to
get someone into the System in an e7peditious manner( -n
-ctivity !a.ard -nalysis will help determine the selection#
while supervision is re2uired to train on 0se# )aintenance#
Storage and isposal of //+(
)inimal "S!- re2uirement
+ffective choices not only of what but when //+ is re2uired
is an essential ,nowledge base for supervisors(
Construction doesn t always have ways to engineer#
substitute# etc(# so often //+ is only defense
6eneral
+ven though //+ is the last hierarchy of control# their use is
critical to success(
9e cannot engineer out all the ha.ards in this industry#
therefore we rely heavily on //+( Knowledge on the use
and selection is paramount(
In order for it to protect people# the supervisor must spot
when it is not used or used improperly(
Being able to select appropriate //+ and lifesaving
e2uipment will foster accident prevention and can increase
employee participation in the !S+ programs provided that
the supervisor see,s out employee feedbac, on selected
e2uipment(
0nfortunately# this is# many times# the primary means of
wor,er protection(
'he front-line supervisor is often the primary or only source
of information on the sub*ect for many wor,ers
'his is re2uired by law and is critical for enabling
supervisors and employees to ma,e good decisions and
,nowledge in how to protect themselves and others(
Critical responsibility re2uiring e7tensive e7perience and
,nowledge(
A( Knowledge of Still thin, this is important
effective pre *ob
+specially with 6overnment wor,# pre-planning is
planning and the
necessary( 9hether loo,ing ahead at a three -wee,# ne7t
organi.ation of daily
wee,# or pro*ect completion# materials and coordination have
wor,flow
to meet detailed and desired time frames for wor,flow and
progress( 9e meet daily with all subs to discuss wor,flow#
coordination# and any activity that may have safety
C:

implications(
Needs effective control of wor, practices for safety
Flow process# allocation of resources# flag critical elements
6eneral
+ffectively planning safety in to a pro*ect has shown to be
one of the greatest accident prevention techni2ues utili.ed(
'his is probably the most important factor in terms of safely
management a *obJ wor,flow avoids conflict or
incompatible activities(
+ffective planning provides for a clearer sense of direction
for all team members and will foster a better environment
for managing ris,
'his is re2uired to perform an ade2uate pre-tas, planning(
'hat ,nowledge allows supervisors to plan ahead for safety
and health needs and re2uirements(
Key characteristic of front-line supervisor function# which
can pre-empt many safety ha.ards(
/re tas, ha.ard recognition and mitigation planning are ,ey
methods for preventing=reducing wor,place in*uries and
incidents by ensuring both the wor,er and supervisor is
involved in the processes
&$(Knowledge and
0nanimous Q we all agree(
application of
)inimal "S!- re2uirement
electrical ha.ards
Focus C item as ma*or cause of in*ury=fatality in construction
No live wor,# 4"'"# outages# coordination of trades
6eneral
+lectrical ha.ards are not understood by very many
supervisors in the field today and this needs to be improved
on(
+lectricity is a ha.ard# among the top fatal four(
!igh ris, and high potential item that should be addressed
pre-*ob and throughout *ob progression(
No matter what trade# this a serious issue# and foreman has
to ,nowledge to control these ha.ards(
/art of what we call the GBig FourH causes of fatalities and
citations(
"ne of "S!- s Gfocus fourH ha.ards which account for high
proportion of construction fatalities(
Second leading cause of death in construction5 critical
,nowledge of both electrical safety practices# energi.ed
electrical wor, and NF/- >%+ compliance are minimum
re2uirements of supervisors5 and one that most are not
competent in(
Comple7 and high ris, issue(
&:( Knowledge and 0nanimous Q we all agree(
application of fall
)inimal "S!- re2uirement
CC

protection
Focus C and leading cause of fatalities in construction
!igh ha.ard evaluation and competent involvement
6eneral
Falls continue to be the leading cause of fatalities in the
construction industry
+levated falls Q the leading cause of death in construction(
!ave to manage that properly(
!igh ris, and high potential item that should be addressed
pre-*ob and throughout *ob progression(
No matter what trade# this a serious issue# and foreman has
to ,nowledge to control these ha.ards(
/art of what we call the GBig FourH causes of fatalities and
citations(
"ne of "S!- s focus four ha.ards which account for high
proportion of construction fatalities
4eading cause of death in construction and &%%K
preventable( Since the ma*ority of fall victims today are
wearing a harness# but failed to connect=tie off((( with the
root cause being the lac, of supervisory enforcement and
effective discipline for lac, of compliance(
Comple7 and high ris, issue(
&?( Knowledge of
0nanimous Q we all agree(
their contractors 'he seven items that ma,e up the II// must be in the Sub
safety and health
Safety )anual# which is reviewed by Safety )anager and
program used by /)=SS to hold sub accountable per their own
directives(
I did not select this one again because I believe the other
s,ills and ,nowledge base are more important( -s a 6eneral
Contractor we have the ability to force the subcontractor to
follow our safety program as a way to help mitigate the ris,(
Company may have re2uirements beyond "S!- Ebest
practicesF
+ssential to company-specific commitments and overall
safety program(
+stablishing partners in safety# especially with )ulti-
+mployer laws
6eneral
/rovides basis and resource for training and monitoring
wor,(
- pro*ect is only as safe as the wea,est contractor onsite( -
supervisor must ,now and be aware of the ha.ards that a
subcontractor brings to the site
-ll managers need to ,now their own employers safety
program(
'heir contractor safety and health program provides a
supervisor the roadmap related to his=her company policy#
procedures and e7pectations(
'his is the most critical aspect of any company safety
C;

program(
"n most wor,sites# the EfrontlineF supervisors are
responsible for compliance and enforcement of contractor s
safety and health program(
)ust ,now own SI! program to be effective and
competent and to be able to convey to subordinates
'his also almost didn t get chec,ed as a good program and
associated training in its contents is critical5 however# as a
safety consultant# I have found that the vast ma*ority of
safety plans are incomplete# unused and a CP- document
for government compliance(
$( +stablishing
I decided to change to Geffective communicationH instead of
effective
my prior answer of :& 'eam building# as team building
communication could be considered a subset of communications( 6ood
communication is critical to avoiding errors and mishaps on
the *obsite
Communication is ,ey( -ll the ,nowledge# education# and
e7perience are not worth anything if you cannot share it( -
policy on a shelf is a boo,end# a policy communicated is a
wor, ethic and policy(
Can t achieve safe wor, w=o communicating effectively
w=wor,ers
Ineffective safety communication leads to accidents
"rgani.ation# coordination# wor,flow=process# ha.ard I
Communication is ,ey for any industry and any
professional in the wor,place(
Clear# concise and effective direction should be given to
any team member under ones authority(
Foremen are leaders and have to have good communication
to ensure their crew follows them(
-bility to connect with the crew and for the crew to be
comfortable with being honest in return is ,ey to creating a
safe wor, environment(
"ne of the ,eys to promoting a positive safety culture(
Ineffective communication from supervision to the wor,
force of re2uired safety procedures and e7pectations is a
factor in many incident investigations and a factor in even
more near miss incidents(
Necessary for team building(
&;( Competent in
Still thin, this is important
ha.ard identification# "ne of four primary ha.ards of industry
avoidance# control
Focus C as in &$ above
and prevention of
6eneral
ha.ards associated
/inch point ha.ards are very prevalent on most construction
with GCaught in
sites and can be avoided with the proper recognition(
C<

BetweenH ha.ards
-s with all of these fatal fours# the supervisor must be able
to recogni.e the ha.ard and act to control it(
!igh ris, and high potential item that should be addressed
pre-*ob and throughout *ob progression(
No matter what trade# this a serious issue# and foreman has
to ,nowledge to control these ha.ards(
/art of what we call the GBig FourH causes of fatalities and
citations(
"ne of "S!- s focus four ha.ards which account for high
proportion of construction fatalities(
Caught between and struc, by are the third and fourth
leading causes of death( 'his ha.ard recognition and
mitigation training must be taught to supervisors with
emphasis on a Gwhat ifH approach since many of these types
of incidents are due to the failure of the supervisor and=or
victim to identify changing conditions or potential ha.ards(
4ot of e7posure and usually easy to mitigate(
&C( Competent in
"ne of four primary ha.ards of industry
ha.ard identification#
Focus C as in &$ above
avoidance# control
6eneral
and prevention
- construction site has numerous pieces of heavy
G H ha.ards
Struc! #y
e2uipment in use# and struc, by ha.ards are prevalent(
6etting hit by stuff is also important to manage(
!igh ris, and high potential item that should be addressed
pre-*ob and throughout *ob progression(
No matter what trade# this a serious issue# and foreman has
to ,nowledge to control these ha.ards(
/art of what we call the GBig FourH causes of fatalities and
citations(
"ne of "S!- s focus four ha.ards which account for high
proportion of construction fatalities(
4ot of e7posure and usually easy to mitigate(
:%( Competent in
-lthough e7cavations can be deadly# they are only typically
ha.ard identification# present during the early stages of building construction(
avoidance# control
'he other ha.ards=issues can be present during all phases
and prevention of
-ll e7cavations must be designed and performed under the
ha.ards associated
direction of a Competent /erson# as defined by "S!-( 'he
with GExcavationsH
/)=SS must have ,nowledge to ensure compliance as often
the Competent /erson is not competent( - good -ctivity
!a.ard -nalysis should identify all the ha.ards and means of
reducing or mitigating the ha.ards( 'he Safety )anager
reviews all the +7cavation plans(
)inimal "S!- re2uirement
See re2uirements for caught in between( Fatalities from
stupid mista,es need addressing(
C>

Non-routine tas, that re2uired Competent /erson and has
e7treme high ha.ards(
6eneral
+7cavation activities can lead to severe ha.ards being
present that are not well understood across the industry(
Critical severity e7posure: the supervisor# if there are
e7cavations# must wor, to control these e7posures(
!igh ris, and high potential item that should be addressed
pre-*ob and throughout *ob progression(
- commonly violated standard( - low fre2uency but high
severity ha.ard(
+7cavations are a ma*or source of serious in*ury=fatal
accidents# and supervisor must be able to recogni.e=control
e7posure(
+7cavations are one of the highest ris, activities on a
*obsite and all supervisors should be a competent person in
e7cavations and all associated ha.ards and mitigations(
4ot of e7posure and usually easy to mitigate(
$A( Competent in
Competent /erson as defined by "S!- must design and
ha.ard identification# supervise erection of scaffolding( -ll my /)=SS have had
avoidance# control
both"S!- :%-!our training# on-line training# and personal
and prevention of training to ,now the ha.ards and proper erection of
ha.ards associated
scaffolding( -n -!- is developed for all scaffolding and
with G H #ca$$ol%ing the Safety )anager reviews the plans(
)inimal "S!- re2uirement
&>K of fall fatalities from scaffoldingJ most common multi-
employer citation e7posures(
Non-routine tas, that re2uired Competent /erson and has
e7treme high ha.ards(
6eneral
'here are fre2uently improperly erected scaffolding and the
supervisor must recogni.e and control this ha.ard(
+very trade uses scaffold for wor, or access# hence it is
critical(
Falls from scaffolding is a leading cause of fatalities and
in*uries in construction and the "S!- Scaffolding standard
is a commonly cited standard(
Common construction apparatus with significant fall and
other ha.ards(
Since scaffolding# fi7ed and mobile# are present on all
pro*ects supervisors should be a competent person in their
safe construction# use and removal(
!igh ha.ard and high e7posure activity(
>( Competent in 'o ma,e room for more general competencies I deleted prior
C?

ha.ard identification# references to ha.ard specific items Ee(g( cranes# weldingF(
avoidance# control 9hatever the trade or type of construction# the Supervisor
and prevention of must be competent in the recognition and control of the
ha.ards associated specific ha.ards from their operations( Cranes -1+
with GCranes& important and I agree with everyone below(
%erric's& oists& )inimal "S!- re2uirement
elevators&
Cranes# the single most costly and most dangerous piece of
conve(orsH
e2uipment on a construction site( New "S!- rules re2uire
significant management attention(
1e2uired /ic, /lans# -ctivity !a.ard -nalysis# protection
of the public and customer recourses
6eneral and Specific
Cranes are not only involved in some of the most severe
construction related accidents# but they are now a focal
point of "S!- (
If present cranes and associated e2uipment is a big e7posure
that must be safely managed
!igh ris, and high potential item that should be addressed
pre-*ob and throughout *ob progression(
Failure to identify and control ha.ards in this area can result
in fatal in*uries(
Cranes# especially( "ne mista,e with a crane can result in
significant damage# in*uries# fatalities to both employees
and the public(
!igh ris, activities
&<( Knowledge of
I changed my mind Q while traumatic acute ha.ards li,e falls
managing health
or struc, bys are more or less managed many construction
ha.ards in
supervisors and employees are not accepting of their
construction e7posure to health ha.ards( I am thin,ing of a great
supervisor who said# when I pointed out that a material
might be asbestos# said WI don t care about that sKIX ( ! e
changed his mind because his company told him to( 'his
should also include ergonomics for preventive of cumulati(e
trauma disorders(
I did not select this one again( -lthough e7tremely
important# as an industry we do not have our arms around
this topic# so how can we e7pect our supervisors too(
Specific e7posures Ehearing# silicosis# asbestosis# etc(F
)ost abused element of safety management in construction
4ong term effects not always easy to detect# short term
protection of public and crews
6eneral
Not readily visible ha.ard that re2uires special s,ills and
,nowledge(
'he health ha.ards in construction are an up-and-coming
topic and may lead to additional regulations(
!ealth part of construction is ignored most times due to
high latency periodJ foreman has to have ,nowledge to
CA

control health ha.ards(
)ost supervisors are aware of the safety ha.ards but very
few aware of the health implications of construction tas,s(
8ery common e7posures in all types of construction
!ealth ha.ards in construction are a serious chronic health
concern that all supervisors must be trained in prevention
and held accountable too5 since the ma*ority of wor,ers
do not reali.e or have concern until their health is
negatively impacted
C( Knowledge of
+ssential to being a supervisor E!ave to ,now in order to
routine=non-routine perform(F
wor, tas,s
'oo 6eneral
+mphasis re2uired on -!- for non-routine
)any in*uries are caused by non-routine tas,s where proper
planning has not occurred
Supervisors must ,now what wor, tas,s are to be done
9ill provide a better understanding for which tas,s need
more planning or oversight(
'his is re2uired to perform an ade2uate pre-tas, planning(
In construction# an important aspect of gaining respect of
the crew is the supervisor s ability to demonstrate
familiarity# if not mastery# of wor, tas,s being assigned(
Complacency is a factor in many in*uries and incidents and
the education and training of the wor,force in safe wor,
methods for all wor, tas,s is a critical element in
eliminating wor, place in*uries(
&( Competent in "S!- :%-!our training and additional guarding and fall
ha.ard identification#
protection training# along with -!- development have
avoidance# control addressed all such issued on the sites(
and prevention of
)inimal re2uirement to comply w= "S!- standard
ha.ards associated
6eneral
with G
Stairs and
4adders and stairs on virtually every *ob# and an in*ury
laddersH
source if used improperly(
-nytime incident associated with ladder# and stairs are
always serious(
Falls from ladders are a leading cause of fatalities and
in*uries in construction and ladder violations are commonly
cited(
8ery common e7posures in construction# which account for
significant number of slips trips and falls
Stairs and ladder ha.ards are common on most *obsites and
wor,places and account for many serious in*uries(
Supervisors must be cogni.ant of these ris,s# the minimum
safety re2uirements ElawsF and additional mitigations that
are re2uired for the safe e7ecution of construction pro*ects(
;%

4ot of e7posure and usually easy to mitigate(
&&( Competent in
9elding rolled into this( -s the commenter s below state#
ha.ard identification#
this is a common problem that must be controlled(
avoidance# control
I would have rated this higher than Y; E!and and /ower
and prevention of
'oolsF(
ha.ards associated
-lways a concern# is addressed on -!- and SS!/ and a
with GFire
point of inspection=audit daily(
*revention an%
)inimal "S!- re2uirement
H
*rotection
)ost common problem on *ob site( Necessary to prevent
in*ury and significant property losses
/re-planning emergency response and safety of ha.ards that
might be fire related
6eneral
Fire ha.ards are abundant in the construction industry(
No matter what trade# this a serious issue# and foreman has
to ,nowledge to control these ha.ards
Nearly every construction site has fire ha.ards and
e7posures that must be controlled(
Fire prevention techni2ues Ewor,ing around flammables
and combustiblesF is a critical s,ill set for anyone#
especially those that manage and wor, in the construction
industry(
;&