SAFETY IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY : A PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH TO REDUCE ACCIDENT RATES

Abstract

In 2009, the workplace fatality rate has reduced from 4.9 (2004) to 2.9 (2009) per 100,000 workers. However, in 2009, the construction industry reported a fatality rate of 8.1 which is almost three times higher than the national average fatality rate. Much effort such as engineering controls has been put in an attempt, to create better working conditions and more importantly to reduce fatalities. Nevertheless, based on several accident causation models, unsafe conditions alone do not result in occurrence of accidents. The workers themselves play a significant role in accident causation as they perform acts that jeopardize their own safety, negating the effect of protective measures already in place. Hence, this research is critical in understanding the reasons behind unsafe acts, and following that, to propose solutions to minimise them. The objectives of this research include determining the perceived effectiveness of current practices, identifying the psychological reasons behind the unsafe acts that result in accidents, and finally, proposing a list of solutions to minimise the tendency of workers performing unsafe acts. The research hypothesis suggests that the actual effectiveness of current practices is insufficient, failing to meet up to expectations of safety personnel in the construction industry. The research methodology involved conducting interviews with safety personnel. Possible limitations may have arisen from the relatively small sample size, as well as possible respondent bias as a face-to-face interview had been conducted. Since representatives of more established construction firms formed the minority of the interviewees and due to company privacy issues, more efficient systems and recommendations may not have been shared. Through the research, it was found in practice, the actual effectiveness of current practices for promoting safety is lower than expected. Since human error is a major source of accidents, more attention should be given and more efforts should be made to improve safety with psychological approaches such as the behaviour-based safety approach. The emphasis on psychological approach to enhance safety would bring us closer to achieving the national goal of 1.8 per 100,000 workers fatality rate. Therefore, guidelines are proposed to aid safety personnel when searching for solutions.