Validating Factors Affecting a National Safety Incentives Policy for the Construction Industry in Developing Countries

A national safety incentive policy is a mix of policy instruments and strategies outlining the rules, templates, and standard procedures for designing and implementing safety incentives within a country. Through a Delphi study, this study assesses critical factors affecting the development of a national safety incentives policy for the construction industry in developing countries using Nigeria as a case study. A qualitative technique was adopted using the Delphi technique to select a representative sample of expert panellists for the study. The Delphi findings indicate fifteen (15) identified factors affecting the development of a national safety incentives policy in Nigeria. Of these fifteen (15) identified factors, six (6) had a very high impact (VHI: 9.00–10.00), four (6) had a high impact (HI: 7.00–8.99), and the remaining three (3) factors recorded a medium impact (MI: 5.00–6.99). The study’s key findings reveal that the leading critical factors affecting developing countries, including Nigeria, in developing a national safety incentives policy include weak institutional framework, occupational safety and health agency’s corrupt practices, stakeholders’ absence in policy development, insufficient government budget for occupational safety and health agency, ineffective H&S code of practice, absence of national safety incentive vision, political influence on occupational safety and health enforcement agency, inadequate regulatory framework, ineffective occupational safety and health policy enforcement, and ineffective occupational safety and health policies. This study concluded by calling for a standalone national safety incentive policy that will holistically support the implementation of safety incentives within the construction industry.