Assessing on-site construction personnel hazard perception in a Middle Eastern developing country: An interactive graphical approach

Abstract

The construction industry is unarguably one of the most dangerous industries contributing to a high percentage of work-related injuries and fatalities. Despite various attempts at ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations and maintaining a safe working environment, the construction personnel attitude on jobsites remains one of the direct reasons behind reducing accidents. Therefore, assessing the hazard perception of the construction workforce is a substantial step in enhancing on-site safety management, especially in developing countries where construction safety is still at its infancy. In Lebanon, a Middle Eastern developing country, the construction industry has been characterized by an overall poor safety performance. Hence, the objective of this paper is to assess the awareness and perception of engineers, foremen and workers on the severity of various indoor hazardous activities and the importance of hardhat use through conducting a computer-based graphical interactive survey on different construction sites in Lebanon. Results revealed: (1) deficiencies in hazard perception among construction personnel, varying according to SHMS adoption by contractors, site characteristics, years of experience, and job position as well as (2) how the main incentive behind wearing a hardhat is actually having faced past incidents in lieu of self-motivation. The study findings together with recommendations issued for enhancing on-site construction personnel hazard and safety perception could be of significance to other regional developing countries. © 2017