Using participatory video to understand subcontracted construction workers' safety rule violations

Traditional approaches to managing occupational health and safety (OHS) adopt a top-down approach in which (often detailed) rules prescribing safe work procedures are written and enforced. However, these rules are sometimes broken. Violations are actions taken by workers that are contrary to rules or procedures. Violations are a causal mechanism in some accidents and understanding why violations occur is important. Researchers investigating the causes of violations have begun to frame them as system problems rather than actions taken by deviant workers.  In some cases, rules are broken because workers are not aware of them. In other cases rules are broken because the rules themselves are not practical given situational constraints, or because working to rule would impact the ability to meet production targets. In some instances the managers are complicit in rule-breaking, quietly ignoring routine violations in the interests of getting the work done. An observational study of workers engaged in the installation of insulation was undertaken in the Australian construction industry. The study used participatory video to explore workers' perspectives on rules and ways to work safely. Interview and video recordings reveal how the installers unintentionally violated some rules because they were not aware of them, having not understood or remembered the content of complex written procedures. Other routine violations were necessitated by simply not having the correct equipment. However, the video data also revealed how the (sub-contracted) insulation installers are routinely expected to violate safe work procedures by general contractors, placing them at significant risk of coming into contact with live electricity or falling from roofs. The participatory video process provided a feed-back opportunity to understand rule violations and learn from situated practices, as well as a feed-forward opportunity to engage workers in the design of better rules. The video and interview data suggests this reflexive learning process also equipped the insulation installers with the knowledge and confidence to refuse to work in unsafe ways.