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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(

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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# $%&$

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3 ylan !ardison# $%&$

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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

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"a#le of Contents

555555555555555555555555((555555viii4IS' "F 'B4+S

555555555555555555555555555((555(i4IS' "F FI601+S 7

C!/'+1 &: BCK61"0N ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( &

C!/'+1 $: 1+8I+9 "F '!+ 4I'+1'01+ ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Competencies ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

+stablishing +ffective Communication((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ;

4eader )ember +7changes ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( AJ !in.e /ar,er# &A>?

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 6ibb# $%&&(

'he "ccupational Safety and !ealth dministration s E"S! %-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!# $%&&( 1ecently# Nevada state law EN1S

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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&; ,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(

$

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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 EShohet4aufer# &AA&( '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(# $%%J !offmann )orgeson# &AAAJ /eterson# &AAAJ !in.e 6ordon# &A>AJ

!in.e /ar,er# &A>?(

+arly research by !in.e and 6ordon E&A>A 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?& also found that supervisors that openly

showed respect for wor,ers and incorporated their suggestions also had safer wor, crews(

Shohet4aufer E&AA& found that enhanced planning by the construction foreman=supervisor leads to

improved productivity Eand they specifically included safety at the construction site( 4ingard# Coo,e#

Blismas# E$%%A 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 Gny 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

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manage the safety of the line level wor,force E!uang# Chen# Krauss# and 1ogers# $%%J

!offmann)orgeson# &AAAJ /eterson# &AAAJ !in.e /ar,er# &A>?( Several factors# such as ,nowledge#

s,ill# e7perience# training# etc(# build the level of competency in the construction supervisorE)ohamed#

$%%$J /eterson# &AAA )any times the responsibility of construction site safety is handed down from

upper level management to the line level supervisor=foreman ESwuste# Fri*ters# 6uldenmund# $%&$J

/eterson &AAA(

'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&( line level supervisor may need todirectly perform wor, related tas,s in efforts to improve

productivity# or improve productivity indirectlythrough administrative procedures and

controlsE)urugappaSirinvasan# $%%>( In today s construction industry the supervisor serves as a

liaison between the wor,ers and upper level management E)urugappaSirinvasan# $%%>( 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# &AAA(

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?&( !igh

management commitment is a ,ey dimension of safety climate EFlin# )earns# " Connor#Bryden# $%%%(

Safety culture=climate and management commitment to safety related issues address the larger scope of

decreasing an organi.ations incident rateE)ichael# 6uo# 9iedenbec,t 1ay# $%%

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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

( Knowledge and application of effective team building s,ills

;( ssessing employee stress levels

( isciplinary procedures and conflict resolution

?( @ob planning and organi.ation of wor, flowA( )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 Chan-Serafin# Smith#

Sonesh$%&&J'orner/ousette# $%%AJ insdag# Biggs Sheahan# $%%?J 4eather# $%%>J !op,ins# $%%;J

+dum-Fotwe)cCaffer# $%%%J 4angford# 1owlinson# Sawacha# $%%%J !offman and )orgeson &AAAJ

/eterson# &AAAJ Simard)archand# &AAJ"diorne &AA&( 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( &&( 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# $%%;(

"diorne E&AA& 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(

;

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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# Blismas# $%%AJ

'orner/ousette# $%%AJ insdag et al(# $%%?J+dum-Fotwe)cCaffer# $%%%J !offman and )orgeson

&AAAJ /eterson# &AAAJSimard)archand# &AAJ "diorne &AA&J !in.e# &A?&(!ofmann)orgeson

E&AAA 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(# $%%

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ideas that may help establish a mindset of safety on the *ob ESwuste et al(# $%&$J 4ingard#Coo,e#

Blismas# $%%AJ /eterson# &AAAJ !in.e# &A?&( 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# Blismas#

$%%AJ /eterson# &AAAJ !in.e# &A?&(

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.e /ar,er# &A>?( 9or,er stress can come from both

on and off the *ob pressures and should be noticed by the line level supervisors E!in.e /ar,er# &A>?(

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(# $%%%( former study performed by !in.e /ar,er

E&A>? 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(# $%%J+dum-Fotwe)cCaffer# $%%%J/eterson# &AAAJ !in.e# &A?&(

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(# $%%

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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 &AAA( '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# &AAA(Conchie# 'aylor Charlton E$%&& and"diorneE&AA&suggests 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 &AAA( For this reason

it is important that supervisors manage the progression of both wor, flow and wor, related tas,s E4eather#

$%%>( study conducted by Sohet and 4aufer E$%%&(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# Blismas# $%%AJ 4eather# $%%>J !uang et al(# $%%J /eterson

&AAA( study performed by 6illen# Balt.# 6assel# 8accaro E$%%$ 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

?

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commitment to ha.ard abatement 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 &AAA( 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# Blismas $%%AJ 4eather# $%%>J !uang et al(# $%%J /eterson &AAA(

/ffective "raining

Building an understanding of potential ha.ards# "!S re2uirements#and,nowledge of the ha.ard

abatement process is vitally important for *ob site safety Einsdaget al(# $%%?( 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(# $%%?( +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(# $%%?( /rofessional competence in safety is a combination of ac2uired

,nowledge through training and e7perience E+dum-Fotwe)cCaffer# $%%%( 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(# $%%?( '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(# $%%?(

4efinition of Competent

merican National Standards Institute=merican Industrial !ygiene ssociation ENSI=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:

education# training# mentoring# e7perience# certification# licensing# and performance assessmentH

Emerican Industrial !ygiene ssociation merican National Standards Institute# $%%;(

'he "ccupational Safety and !ealth dministration E "S! 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

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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!# $%&$(

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 "S!O# $%&&( 'his outreach course

covers "S! policies# procedures# and standards# as well as construction safety and health principles

E"S!# $%&&( '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!# $%&&("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!# $%&&(

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#

$%&$('he Center for Construction 1esearch and 'raining EC/91 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# $%&$(

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

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"opics of 2utreach "raining

Below# in E'able $(%# is the list of the training topics covered through the "S! % !our "utreach

training course(

Table 2.0 Topics of $/ 0 /our utreac Training #$/) 2011%&( Introduction to "S! $( +lectrical !a.ards

( Fall /rotection ( Struc, By

;( Caught In Between ( !ealth !a.ards in Construction ?( Concrete and )asonry

A( Cranes# derric,s# hoists# elevators# &%( Steel +rectionconveyors

&&( )anaging Safety and !ealth &$( !and and /ower 'ools

&( Fire /rotection and /revention &( 9elding and !ot 9or,

&;( /ersonal /rotective and 4ifesaving &( )aterial !andling# Storage# 0se# and &?( Scaffoldingisposal

&A( +7cavations $%( /owered Industrial 8ehicles

$&( Contractors Safety and !ealth program $$( +rgonomics

$( )otor vehicles# mechanical e2uipmentand 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#

&&

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hands-on# *ob site training 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(

&$

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C."/0 ': 7/"24S

Identifying the 0esearch

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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 Chan-Serafin#

Smith# Sonesh$%&&J'orner/ousette# $%%AJinsdag# Biggs Sheahan# $%%?J 4eather# $%%>J

!op,ins# $%%;J +dum-Fotwe)cCaffer# $%%%J4angford# 1owlinson# and Sawacha# $%%%J!offman and )orgeson &AAAJ /eterson# &AAAJ

Simard)archand# &AAJ "diorne &AA&( "diorneE&AA&

$( +stablishing positive leader=member ESwuste et al(# $%&$J Bur,e et al(# $%&&J 4ingard#e7changes Coo,e# Blismas# $%%AJ 'orner/ousette# $%%AJ

insdag et al(# $%%?J )ichael et al# $%%( isciplinary procedures and conflict resolution Conchie# 'aylor Charlton$%&&J /eterson#&AAAJ"diorne# &AA&

?( @ob planning and organi.ation of wor,flow E)itropoulos and Cupido# $%%AJ )anuel# $%%?J

4eather# $%%>J Sohet and 4aufer# $%%

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&( Identification of GStruc, byH ha.ards E"S!# $%&&

&( Identification of GCaught in betweenH ha.ards E"S!# $%&&

&;( !ealth ha.ards in construction E"S!# $%&&

& derric!s> hoists> elevators>conveyorsH

$$( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!# $%&&

control and prevention of ha.ards associatedwith G HSteel erection

$( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!# $%&&control and prevention of ha.ards associated

with Gand and power toolsH

$( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!# $%&&

control and prevention of ha.ards associatedwith GFire prevention and protection H

$;( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!# $%&&control and prevention of ha.ards associatedwith G H6elding and hot wor!

$ storage> use> and

Hdisposal

$?( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!# $%&&control and prevention of ha.ards associatedwith G HScaffolding

&;

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$A( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!# $%&&

control and prevention of ha.ards associatedwith G H/8cavations

%( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!# $%&&

control and prevention of ha.ards associatedwith G.owered industrial vehiclesH

&( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!# $%&&

control and prevention of ha.ards associatedwith G H/rgonomics

$( Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# E"S!# $%&&

control and prevention of ha.ards associatedwith G7otor vehicles> mechanical

/?uipment and marine 2perations@

0ollover protection structures and2verhead 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!allowell6ambatese# $%&%( '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!allowell6ambatese# $%&%(

!allowell 6ambatese E$%&% suggested that the elphi process is concluded after a predefined

criterion Enumber of rounds or the achievement of consensus( !oley et al( E$%%> 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

&

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respect to coming into consensus# the predetermined level of consensus for this study was set at ?%(

Smith et al( E$%&& used a consensus level of ?%(

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!allowell6ambatese# $%&%(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!allowell6ambatese#

$%&%( 'he elphi techni2ue# best addresses this type of bias by eliminating dominant influence of

particular panel members participating in the study E!allowell6ambatese# $%&%( ominant influence is

controlled in the elphi process by having the panel members remain anonymous throughout the entire

research pro*ect E!allowell6ambatese# $%&%(

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!allowell6ambatese# $%&%( G 'n te elpi process te most

InH E!allowell6ambatese# $%&%# p( &%&(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

&>

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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 merican $ociety of $afety

ngineers +onstruction 5ractice $pecialty list serve on 4in,edIn(com( 'he group had over $A%% members

in ugust $%&$( n original posting stating G ttention +onstruction $afety 3perts6 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 ppendi3 .'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 # $%&%( In order to meet a minimum level of 2ualification using the point6ambatese

system shown# it is suggested that panelists score at least one E& point in four E different

&?

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achievement or e7perience categories and possess a minimum of eighteen E&? total points in

order to 2ualify for participation(!allowell E$%&% suggests that participants score6ambatese

eleven E&& 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>

years professional e7perience in the construction industry Ei(e( Seven E> years e7perience

relating to# suitable for# or engaged in the construction industry(Setting pre2ualification

re2uirements at eighteen E&? total points allows this research pro*ect to fit both the re2uirements

of !allowell E$%&% and the minimum of seven E> years professional e7perience(6ambatese

'herefore to participate the participants must score eighteen E&? total points to meet the

pre2ualification re2uirements(

Num#er of .anelists

/revious research studies suggest using &%-&$ panelists for elphi studies

E!allowell6ambatese# $%&%( For the course of this study# fourteen E& panelistswere utili.ed in efforts

to account for a potential two E$ paneliststo dropout from the study( In order to be fair to all potential

e7pert participants# the first fourteen E& applicable candidates that submitted the invitation letter within

'able (%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 reuirement of construction industry

e3perience (

chievement or /8perience .oints A/ach 7y .oint total

Pears of professional e7perience > Eminimum of >points

/rofessional registration such as /rofessional +ngineer E/+#

4icensed rchitect EI# Certified Safety /rofessionalECS/# ssociated 1is, )anager E1)

Invited to present at a conference %(;

&A

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)ember of a nationally recogni.ed committee &

Chair of a nationally recogni.ed committee

/eer-reviewed *ournal article E/rimary or Secondary 9riter $

Faculty member at an accredited university

9riter=editor of a boo,

9riter of a boo, chapter $

dvanced egrees:

BS ECivil engineering# C+)# "ccupational Safety# or other

related fields

)S ECivil engineering# C+)# "ccupational Safety# or other $

related fields

/h(( ECivil engineering# C+)# "ccupational Safety# or other

related fields

"2"L

.anel 7em#er 4emographics

In the two wee,s following the original posting on 4in,edIn(com# fourteen E& social media

users responded to the posting and submitted their document containing their completed 2ualification

2uestionnaire( "f the fourteen E& responses# &%% 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& 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(

$%

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Table 5.0(erage points based on categories of e3perience

Num#er of

participants within

Category of /8perience this category verage .oints

Pears of professional e7perience per participant & $A

/articipants invited to present at a conference & (?(;>

/ercentage of participants holding )S ECivil engineering# C+)#"ccupational Safety# or other related fields

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Table 7.0(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 fields $(

Commercial=Industrial Construction $?(;>Industrial )echanical Fabrication=Installation & >(&

9ater 'reatment= 9aste 9ater 'reatment Facility Construction & >(&

Construction Safety and !ealth 'raining Services & >(&

No 1esponse from /articipant $&(

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$% of the thirty-two E$ available ,nowledge-based competencies( G1ound

&H is located in ppendi3 (

'wenty E$% out of thirty-two E$ was the number re2uested that the panelists select due the

statistical values of the available ,nowledge-based competencies for selection( lmost

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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$% ,nowledge-

based competencies( !aving a close to ;%=;% split of highly technical E"S! % !our topics and more

managerial=personal competencies ECompetencies from literature# 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> and ten E&% days(

/articipants were as,ed todenoteeach of their individual twenty E$% 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$-Hdecreased and allowed the group to come closer to the target consensus(

0ound $ 0esult

'he results from G1ound &H show the upper twenty E$% ,nowledge-based competencies selected

by the e7pert panel(s shown in Table 8.0J four E competencies were selected &%% of the time# one E&

was selected A$(? three E >?(;># one E& >&(# four E ( and one E& selected ;%(%% 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

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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 roundEs(

s part of the elphi process# participants were as,ed to provide a brief &-$ sentence e7planation

for each variable selected( listing# located in ppendi3 +# contains each of the competencies selected by

the e7pert panel and displays each comment=feedbac, that was received along with the corresponding

selection(

&%%&%%(%%

A

?A?%(%%

>&

$

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?pper t"enty #20% !no"ledge-based competencies selected in @Round 1> "it accompanyingTable 9.0

percentages of selection.

Num#er 3pper fifteen A$) !nowledge-#ased competencies

of "imesSelected

& &$ - 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"een H ha.ards

$A - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ardsassociated with G#ca$$ol%ingH

&& > - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ardsassociated with GCranes& %erric's& oists& elevators& conve(ors H

H& - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention G #truc' b(ha.ards

&< - Knowledge of managing health ha.ards in construction

&% - 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.ardsassociated with G)an% an% *o"er toolsH

&& - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ardsassociated with G HFire *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

$ - Setting wor,er tas,s and responsibilities?

$; - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention ofha.ards associated with G H6elding and hot wor!

? Q @ob planning and the organi.ation of wor,flow>

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0ound "wo

'he purpose of G1ound $#H was to have the panel members narrow down the list from twenty E$%

,nowledge-based competencies to fifteen E&; in no specific order( In G1ound $H participants had to

eliminate five E; 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&;out of thirty-two E$ 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> and ten E&% 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&; 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

$

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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& $(H 'he results# including feedbac,# were to be the basis

for each panelist decision regarding the selection of the upper fifteen E&;,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!allowell6ambatese# $%&%( 'here are two methods to determine the GConsensusH of the group

E!allowell6ambatese# $%&%( Both GStabilityH and G'arget ConsensusH are used to ma,e this

determination E!allowell6ambatese# $%&%( 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!allowell6ambatese# $%&%( 'he results of G1ound $H show that the group is A(

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&%% &%%&%%(%%

A

?&

> > > >

% % %

%(%%

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> "itaccompanying percentages of selection.

.ercent 3pper fifteen A$) !nowledge-#ased competenciesSelected

& &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.ardsassociated with GCaugt in !et"een H ha.ards

H& - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention G #truc' b(ha.ards

$ - +stablishing effective communication

$?

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&& $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.ardsassociated with GExcavationsH

&% > - 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

- Knowledge of routine=non-routine wor, tas,s

& - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ardsassociated with G H#tairs an% la%%ers

A && - Competent in ha.ard identification# avoidance# control and prevention of ha.ardsHassociated with GFire *revention an% *rotection

2ther ?(

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techni2ue(/articipants were as,ed to provide a brief &-$ sentence comment about their opinions of the

elphi techni2ue and lessons they Ethe participants 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

professionals 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,( /articipants stated the following in the

2uestionnaire:

7o. 0 our is only basic general !no"ledge tat sould be reuired 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 uality of leader. $/ 0 sould be part of e(ery

super(isor toug)

%

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Bes and no. 'n addition to te tecnical !no"ledge pro(ided tru 10-0 r training) super(isor must

a(e training to direct and manage tose seCe super(ises.

&

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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

$

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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(

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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$%% surveyed construction and civil engineering programs and found an

emphasis on "S! regulationsJ the "S! %-hour certification is earned in

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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(

;

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0/F/0/NC/S

merican Industrial !ygiene ssociation merican National Standards Institute E$%%;( 7$'C'/

D10-2009( Fairfa7# 8: merican Industrial !ygiene ssociation(

Bureau of 4abor Statistics E$%&$(ll 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# (# Sonesh# S( E$%&&( 'he

dread factor: !ow ha.ards and safety training influence learning and performance(

Fournal of pplied 5sycology # *E %(

Cheyne# (# Finneran# (# !artley# 1(# 6ibb# ( E$%&&( 4essons learned from the 4ondon $%&$ games

construction pro*ect( Learning Legacy# 1etrieved fromhttp:==learninglegacy(independent(gov(u,=documents=pdfs=health-and-safety=$(

!alperin# K( )cCann# )( E$%%(n evaluation of scaffold safety at construction sites( Fournal of

$afety Researc # ;E$# &&-&;%(

!in.e# @( /ar,er# !( E&A>?( Safety: /roductivity and *ob pressures( Fournal of +onstruction i(ision #&%EC% $>-(

!in.e# @( 6ordon# F( E&A>A( Supervisor-wor,er relationship affects in*ury rate( Fournal of te+onstruction i(ision # +E%# &??(

!in.e# @( E&A?&( !uman aspects of construction safety( Fournal of te +onstruction i(ision # &

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!ofmann# ()orgeson# F( E&AAA( Safety-related behavior as a social e7change: 'he role of perceived

organi.ational support and leaderQmember e7change ( Fournal of pplied 5sycology # ?E$#$? E;$#

&-&%(

!op,ins# ( E$%%;( $afety) culture and ris!( North 1yde: CC! ustralia 4imited(

!uang# P(# Chen# /(# Krauss# (# 1ogers# ( E$%%( uality 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 #&?E# ?-;% E$# &-&%(

4eather# /( E$%%>( Safety and accidents in the construction industry: wor, design perspective( Hor! :

$tress6 n 'nternational Fournal of Hor!) /ealt :rganisations # 1E$# &-&>(

4ingard# !(# Coo,e# '(# Blismas# N( E$%%A( 6roup -level safety climate in the ustralian construction

- -industry: within group homogeneity and between group differences in road construction and

maintenance(+onstruction Ganagement and conomics #2;E# &A-$(

)anuele# F( E$%%?(d(anced safety management focusing on D10 and serious inEury pre(ention. 9iley-

Interscience(

)c8itti# (# 8i# /(# +ng# )( E$%%A( 'he effect of supervisory training in lost-time in*uryrates in

construction( +onstruction $afety ssociation of ntario (

)ichael# @(# 6uo# L(# 4as9iedenbec,t# @(# 1ay# C( E$%%E;# >(

)itropoulos# /( Cupido# 6( E$%%A( 'he role of production and teamwor, practices in constructionsafety: cognitive model and an empirical case study( Fournal of $afety Researc # 40# $;(

)ohamed# S( E$%%$(Safety climate in construction site environments( Fournal of +onstruction

ngineering and Ganagement# &$?E;# >;Q?(

)urugappa# K( Srinivaaan# ( E$%%>(@ow do shop-floor supervisora allocate their timeR(

'nternational Fournal of 5roduction conomics # &%;E A>-&&;(

"ccupational Safety and !ealth dministration E$%& pril( utreac training program construction

industry procedures ( 1etrievedfromhttp:==www(osha(gov=dte=outreach=construction=constructionTprocedures(pdf

"ccupational Safety and !ealth dministration(En(d(( 1etrieved fromhttp:==www(osha(gov=S4'C=competentperson=inde7(html

>

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"diorne# 6( E&AA&( 'he new breed of supervisor: 4eaders in self-managed wor, teams( $uper(ision #;$E?# &-&>(

/eterson# ( E&AAA( $afety super(ision( E$nd( ed(( es/laines: merican Society of Safety +ngineers(

Shohet# I(4aufer# ( E&AA&( 9hat does the construction foreman doR( +onstruction Ganagement and

conomics# *E

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../N4IE

A

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../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 infulfillment 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: elphiStudy(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# andperformance assessmentH EI!# $%%;(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=foremanbased on the *udgment of an e7pert panel( 'his research will utili.e input provided by an e7pert Eelphi

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 pril

1ound $ Input &; minutes wee,sEBegin middle of pril

1ound Input &; minutes wee,sEBegin first of )ay

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

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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 anda minimum of $ 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* years prof essional e8perience in the construction industry Ei(e( Seven

E> years e7perience relating to# suitable for# or engaged in the construction industry(

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 totalnumber 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 ualificationH(

"a#le $%,5articipant ualification reuirements

chievement or /8perience .oints A/ach 7y .oint

"otal

Pears of professional e7perience &

/rofessional registration such as /rofessional +ngineer E/+# Ema7imum of 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 standardis a commonly cited standard(

Common construction apparatus with significant fall and

other ha.ards(

Since scaffolding# fi7ed and mobile# are present on allpro*ects supervisors should be a competent person in theirsafe construction# use and removal(

!igh ha.ard and high e7posure activity(

>( Competent in 'o ma,e room for more general competencies I deleted prior

?

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ha.ard identification# references to ha.ard specific items Ee(g( cranes# welding(

avoidance# control 9hatever the trade or type of construction# the Supervisor

and prevention of must be competent in the recognition and control of theha.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 ofconve(orsH e2uipment on a construction site( New "S! rules re2uiresignificant management attention(

1e2uired /ic, /lans# ctivity !a.ard nalysis# protectionof 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

&

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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,ersdo not reali.e or have concern until their health isnegatively impacted

( Knowledge of +ssential to being a supervisor E!ave to ,now in order toroutine=non-routine perform(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 needmore planning or oversight(

'his is re2uired to perform an ade2uate pre-tas, planning(

In construction# an important aspect of gaining respect ofthe 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 andthe 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 fallha.ard identification# protection training# along with ! development haveavoidance# control addressed all such issued on the sites(and prevention of )inimal re2uirement to comply w= "S! standardha.ards associated 6eneralwith GStairs and 4adders and stairs on virtually every *ob# and an in*uryladdersH 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 Elaws and additional mitigations that

are re2uired for the safe e7ecution of construction pro*ects(

;%

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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 'ools(ha.ards associated lways a concern# is addressed on ! and SS!/ and awith GFire point of inspection=audit daily(*revention an% )inimal "S! re2uirement

H*rotection )ost common problem on *ob site( Necessary to preventin*ury and significant property losses

/re-planning emergency response and safety of ha.ards thatmight be fire related

6eneral

Fire ha.ards are abundant in the construction industry(

No matter what trade# this a serious issue# and foreman hasto ,nowledge to control these ha.ards

Nearly every construction site has fire ha.ards ande7posures that must be controlled(

Fire prevention techni2ues Ewor,ing around flammablesand combustibles is a critical s,ill set for anyone#

especially those that manage and wor, in the construction

industry(

;&