Measuring Safety Culture Maturity in Indonesian Construction Projects Across Design and Construction Phases

This study maps the maturity of construction safety culture in Indonesia across the design and construction phases and identifies priorities for improving the safety management system in construction. Building on a literature-derived framework of categories and subcategories, we conducted a two-round questionnaire-based expert elicitation (pilot and final rounds) and focus group discussions (FGDs) with a purposive panel of 12 experts representing key stakeholders (government/owners, contractors, consultants, and academia). Expert validation was used to assess alignment with field conditions and refine recommendations. The results show average maturity scores of 3.11 in the design phase and 3.36 in the construction phase, indicating a position between the compliant and proactive levels. Sub-category analysis indicates comparatively stronger performance in regulatory mechanisms and operational controls but persistent weaknesses in early-stage planning competence, time and resource allocation for safety, digitalization of safety management, and hazardous waste management. A cross-phase gap is evident: safety is more institutionalized during execution than it is embedded in upstream design decisions. The findings suggest that advancing beyond compliance requires an integrated approach that links national regulations with international project management guidance and construction-specific practices. We conclude by outlining how these frameworks’ integration can support a transition toward more proactive and ultimately resilient safety culture maturity in Indonesia’s construction sector.