Fang, D; Zhao, C and Zhang, M (2016) A cognitive model of construction workers' unsafe behaviors. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 142(9): 04016039, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
This paper focuses on construction workers' unsafe behaviors and develops a cognitive model of construction workers' unsafe behaviors (CM-CWUB). In the construction industry, many accident investigations reveal that workers' unsafe behaviors are the most frequent and direct causes of on-site accidents, and thus need to be addressed urgently. Based on cognitive and social psychology theories and existing accident causation models, this paper develops a CM-CWUB by adopting a five-stage form, specifically representing the construction workers' cognitive processes when confronted with potential hazards on construction sites. Using a cognitive perspective can reveal the mechanism of human error and thus can elucidate how unsafe behaviors are produced. The five stages include obtaining information, understanding information, perceiving responses, selecting response, and taking action, with obtaining information and selecting response as the two key stages. Obtaining information elaborates construction workers' observations and processing of hazard information on sites by themselves, and selecting response adopts the theory of planned behavior to reflect various factors of influence when workers select unsafe behavior. Based on the developed model, cognitive failures that would lead to construction workers' unsafe behaviors at different cognitive stages are then systematically analyzed.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | cognition; cognitive model; construction workers; labor and personnel issues; safety management; unsafe behaviors |
| Index terms: | construction worker, construction industry, planned behaviour, accident investigation, construction site, personnel, unsafe behaviour, psychology, safety management, cognition |
| Subjects: | financial risk, management, industry analysis, behavioral psychology, environmental health, occupational health and safety management, cognitive psychology, practitioner, work location |
| Topics: | Human Resources, Site Management, Health and Safety, Cost Management, Research Practice, Roles and Professions, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here