Background. Employers are required to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) to all employees in Ghana, and employees are required to wear the PPE provided. In Ghana, previous studies on health and safety in the construction industry that touched on PPE use did not explicitly demonstrate the reasons why many workers choose to use or not to use it, though they may be at risk of occupational hazards. The purpose of this study was to determine building construction artisans’ level of access to PPE and the perceived barriers and motivating factors of adherence to its use. The contribution of this study lies in its examination of the perceived barriers and motivating factors underlying adherence and nonadherence to PPE use in the construction industry, particularly building construction, which is yet to be determined in Ghana. Method. Data was collected from 173 frontline building construction workers using a structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using a two‐way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine the effects of demographic variables on the perceived barrier and motivating factors of adherence to PPE use. Results. The most common PPE that participants had access to was safety boots/shoes, with their main source being borrowing from colleagues. The majority of participants disagreed with the perceived barriers while agreeing with the motivating factors of adherence to PPE use. The results suggest statistically significant differences for years of working experience (Wilks = 0.77, F = 2.47; p ≤ 0.01) and form of employment (Wilks = 0.72, F = 3.25, p ≤ 0.01) for perceived barriers to adherence. For perceived motivating factors to adherence, significant differences were obtained for age group (Wilks = 0.84, F = 2.42, p ≤ 0.01), years of experience (Wilks = 0.85, F = 2.35, p ≤ 0.01), and form of employment (Wilks = 0.71, F = 5.22, p ≤ 0.01). Conclusion. Age groups, years of experience, and form of employment were the main factors mediating adherence and nonadherence to PPE use by the construction workers. This study recommends safety training for workers if good safety management and performance concerning PPE use are to be achieved.

The construction industry is considered one of the most hazardous industries, and implementing a safety program is regarded as one of the most effective approaches to improving safety performance. However, any safety program's success depends on specific factors for satisfactory outcomes. Identifying factors influencing safety performance from a worker's perspective is key to improving safety management. This study determined the critical factors contributing to the construction industry's safety performance by building construction artisans in Ghana. Through a literature review, 55 factors influencing safety performance were selected from previous studies and evaluated by the building construction. An exploratory factor analysis was used for dimension reduction, and seven components clustering of the 55 factors were revealed. The result showed that management support and commitment towards safety performance were the most influential component. The findings of this study can be utilized to enhance health and safety performance in the building construction industry.

The Ghanaian construction industry faces challenges in managing safety, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that need more resources. This research addressed the critical need for a positive safety culture framework specifically designed for SMEs in Ghana. The study adopts the Delphi research approach, which involves a series of questionnaire ‘rounds’ to gather and refine information and develop a collaborative safety culture framework with SME stakeholders. The study employed a mixed-methods strategy, harnessing quantitative and qualitative data to meet the research goals. The critical components of the developed framework included safety commitment, adaptability, information, awareness, culture, and performance. The research offered evidence-based recommendations for effective positive safety practices across Ghana’s SMEs by analysing the relationship between these interventions and safety outcomes. Applying the framework should reduce workplace accidents and foster a positive safety culture that aligns with international best practices.