Organizational Impacts of Construction Worksite Fatalities

In construction, a large focus is placed on preventative safety measures to help mitigate workplace hazards. Traditionally, less focus is placed on communication strategies that address organizational risks should a major safety failure occur. Organizations can be exposed to financial, legal, and reputational risks following worksite fatalities. A crisis communication plan that considers incident attribution, organizational continuity, internal and external stakeholders, and messaging for short-term and long-term communications can help manage those risks. This study aimed to identify the extent that safety failures impact the financial, legal, and reputational aspects of a construction organization and the role of crisis communication planning in mitigating those risks. Through a survey of industry leaders, the perception of organizational impact was measured and compared to previous research. The results of this study indicate financial burdens are perceived as the most significant impact on organizations compared to legal and reputational consequences. The findings also show leaders agree crisis communication plans are useful in mitigating organizational risk. However, the results of this study highlighted numerous contradictions within the previous literature, which are areas for further education in the construction industry. To improve crisis management and communication planning, impacts of worksite fatalities should further evaluate indirect costs, legal repercussions, and the effects of stakeholder attribution on organizational reputation. There should be increased education on the purpose and functionality of crisis communication plans and a broader focus on response methods throughout the life cycle of a crisis to help mitigate organizational risks.