Exploring The Interpersonal Stressors Of Safety Officers In The Construction Industry Via A Focus Group

The construction industry is inherently hazardous, making effective safety management critical for project success and worker well-being. Safety officers play a crucial role in the safety management system. They act as the central bridge for communication and coordination across all organizational levels, from top management and inter-departmental peers to frontline workers. Safety officers often face hostility, resistance, and social isolation due to the unique nature of their duties, as they frequently need to identify non-compliance and rectify the mistakes of colleagues and workers. Despite the complex interpersonal relationships in their daily work, the interpersonal stressors experienced by them still remain under-explored. Therefore, this study aims to explore the interpersonal stressors experienced by safety officers in the construction industry. A focus group discussion was conducted with eight safety officers. Contextual analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data of the focus group. The study identified key interpersonal stressors in safety officers’ working environment, including poor working relationships, job discrimination, ineffective communication and so on. The findings help to alleviate the stress of safety officers, enhance the practical effectiveness of safety operations, and promote the advancement of safety management systems. Recommendations are made for fostering a more harmonious and effective safe working environment, such as holding safety face-to-face forums to enable employees at all organizational levels to fully understand the role of safety officer and voluntarily comply with safety policies.