Are Construction Managers from Mars and Workers from Venus? Exploring Differences in Construction Safety Perception of Two Key Field Stakeholders

Abstract

Persisting high rates of worksite accidents and injuries in construction projects indicate the urge to investigate the root causes and revisit safety practices in this industry. Consonance in perceptions and safety approaches has been identified as a fundamental factor in boosting projects’ safety. Discrepancies between how different elements of construction safety are perceived and handled by the key stakeholders, namely managers and workers, could be detrimental to worksite safety. This research studied how, if at all, the perception of four key construction safety components, including 33 sets of pairwise questions, is different in the lens of managers from workers. To explore safety perceptions, 133 construction professionals in the United States participated in the study and expressed their perceptions toward their own and counterparts’ (1) safety knowledge, (2) safety culture and commitment, (3) safety performance, and (4) safety support and communication. The results indicated that massive gaps in safety perceptions do exist between the construction managers and workers (26 out of 33 areas), and the magnitude varies for different safety elements. In all four categories, both managers and workers perceived a superior safety position for themselves and inferior for their counterparts. Further investigations revealed that the common ground between managers and workers is their consensus on proper communication and safety training as the key solutions to address such discrepancies. Construction safety professionals and practitioners can benefit from the results of this study to establish and implement strategies to foster communication and provide more effective safety training to bridge the existing gaps in the perception of safety by managers and workers.

Willingness to accept metaverse safety training for construction workers based on extended UTAUT

“…On the one hand, the project safety manager and the group leader increase the supervision and construction workers to strengthen the supervision and encourage the construction workers to actively use the MST and the incentive mechanism is encouraged to ensure the safety of the builders and enhance the overall safety atmosphere. On the other hand, project security managers focus on communication and feedback with construction workers and team leaders ( 63 ). Establish a suitable communication mechanism between the group and the project to ensure the safety of information interaction.…”

Influencing sub-contracted operatives' attitudes and behaviours towards improved health and safety culture in construction

“…In addition, there are other numerous literature resources from all over the globe, which cover the matter of safety and even cultural behaviours and attitudes to an extent. However, the inconsistency in the attitude of different operators makes it difficult to establish consistent safety management practises (Namian et al ., 2022). Also, foreign differences in culture can impact safety behaviour as Rowlinson (2004) elucidates traditional construction methods could affect the use of safety gears, and some local cultures could frustrate the site management team.…”

A Review on Construction Safety: Hazards, Mitigation Strategies, and Impacted Sectors

“…Historically, the construction industry has been viewed as particularly dangerous due to its high rates of workplace injuries and fatalities [1]. Although construction workers represent a small percentage of the United States workforce, they are the victims of 9% of all fatal occupational injuries and 20% of all non-fatal occupational injuries [2].…”