At first sight: Impressions of safety culture on construction sites

The construction industry has attempted to improve the safety of its workers and reduce the number of accidents and deaths within it for many years. Interventions and initiatives have tackled various aspects of risk, ranging through design, elimination, protective equipment, and behaviour. However, this industry is still characterized as dangerous with typically between 70 to 80 deaths per year. This research is an investigation into how people, working within the industry, determine if a site is safe, based on their initial reaction and how this may affect risk taking behaviour. A number of theories exist which help to explain this interpretation process and these are outlined. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 industry experts and two focus groups were carried out with workers within the industry. A number of visual cues were identified repeatedly, including housekeeping, pedestrian walkways, safety signs, PPE usage and the behaviour of people already on site. Influences on behaviour were discussed and first impressions were thought to impact on risk taking behaviour. These findings have potential implications for the management of safety within the industry, establishing the importance of creating an impression of a high level of safety culture at all times.