Validating measurement structure of materials and equipment factors model in the MRT construction industry using Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Occupational accident rates in the construction industry are among the highest compared to other industrial sectors. The materials and equipment factor is one of the contributing factors to occupational accidents in this industry. The objective of this study is to develop the materials and equipment factor model in contributing to occupational accidents in the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) construction industry in Malaysia. This research was conducted by distributing survey questionnaire randomly to obtain data from the MRT construction project around Klang Valley. A total of 180 responses were received from respondents. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed by using IBM SPSS-AMOS to validate the proposed model by examining the relationships between the observed variables and the latent variables. The results indicate that all four aspects namely suitability of the materials/equipment; conditions of the material/equipment; safety protection design; and knowledge of the materials/equipment used have a significant relationship with the materials and equipment factor. Moreover, occupational safety and health (OSH) improvement can be achieved by focusing on the knowledge aspect with three important safety practices: to provide a complete manual on how to use the equipment/machinery correctly; good implementation and maintenance of construction materials/equipment; and provide a proper risk assessment. Finally, the materials and equipment factor model in contributing to occupational accidents has been successfully developed. The model provides an in-depth understanding of safety improvement among rail construction industry stakeholders pertaining to the materials and equipment factor and it can be used for identifying the appropriate aspects to prevent accidents from occurring in the future.