Employee-Centred Safety Management in UAE Construction: Psychosocial Safety Climate and Safety Performance

Construction safety depends not only on formal occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS) but also on how employees experience management priorities, communication, and opportunities to participate. This study examined the relationships among OHSMS, psychosocial safety climate (PSC), and safety performance in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) construction industry, with particular attention to the indirect role of PSC. Data were obtained through a cross-sectional online survey of employees in medium and large construction companies. Of 189 responses, 159 valid cases were retained. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was conducted in SmartPLS 4 using a Type II reflective-formative higher-order construct specification. OHSMS was positively associated with PSC (? = 0.821, p < .001) and safety performance (? = 0.485, p < .001), while PSC was positively associated with safety performance (? = 0.421, p < .001). The indirect association from OHSMS to safety performance through PSC was significant (? = 0.346, p = .001, 95% CI [0.158, 0.552]), while the direct association remained significant. The findings indicate that employee-facing aspects of safety management, including training, communication, accountability, and participation, are closely connected with the psychosocial climate in which safety practices are experienced. Cross-sectional and self-reported data limit causal interpretation.