An illustrative case study of workaround and its effects on construction site safety in South Africa

A workaround implies that a rule known to be correct has become an obstacle. A workaround is expedited to resolve a problem with obsolete rules or to create a problem by violating rules (cutting corners). In both scenarios, a workaround is a form of violation. This paper aims to depict workarounds, their frequency, and their impact on rule-related behaviours of workers in the frontline of construction. On-site interviews were used to collect data for the study. The interviewees answered questions based on lived experiences on construction sites. Data analysis showed that the 'workaround' - the practice of reconsidering rules that are incompatible with a task - was common and accepted on the three construction sites. Operatives who were interviewed resorted to workarounds whether the task was covered by appropriate rules (good rules), obsolete rules (bad rules), or where the task was not covered by a rule (no rule). The effect is an incorrect but rewarding violation, which is dangerous because it is habit-forming. In future, negative habit-forming through unrestricted workarounds should be discouraged in construction.