A mixed-methods strategy to analyse the dynamics of safety violations of the construction workers in Hong Kong

TL;DR

This study explores why construction workers in Hong Kong violate safety rules using surveys and interviews to identify key factors and suggest improvements.

Contribution

The study introduces a mixed-methods approach combining behavioral theory and organizational reliability to analyze safety violations in Hong Kong construction.

Findings

Perceived Behavioural Control is the most critical cognitive factor influencing safety violation intentions.

High Reliability Organizing encourages continuous improvement in construction safety management.

Training should be tailored to different worker groups, such as young and elderly workers.

Abstract

There is a lack of research specifically addressing safety violations among construction workers in Hong Kong. This study, therefore, aims to address the research gap and provide insight into the causes of safety violations. This study employs a mixed-methods approach to achieve research objectives and leverage the benefits of each method.

Using a Theory of Planned Behaviour framework and High Reliability Organising (HRO), this research adopted a questionnaire survey to test the relationships among the constructs, which obtained 365 valid responses.

Subsequently, 37 semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain insight into workers’ perspectives.

The research results confirmed reliability and validity of the employed methods. Intention significantly affects the occurrence of safety violations. Among cognitive determinants of safety violations, two factors have a notable influence on intention, with Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC) being the most critical factor. HRO, as the distal factor that impacts cognitive determinants of safety violations, initiates a transformative approach to construction safety management that emphasises continuous reflection and improvement. Practical strategies are recommended to target PBC and attitude to improve workers’ intentions. It is also recommended that training be designed to cater to contextual features of different work groups, such as young and elderly workers.

Mixed methods strategy adopted in this study.Image, graphical abstract

Mixed methods strategy adopted in this study.

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