Factors Affecting Construction Hazard Recognition and Safety Risk Perceptio

Construction hazard recognition and the accurate perception of safety risk are fundamental to the success of any safety management program. When hazards remain unrecognized, or the associated safety risk is underestimated, the likelihood of catastrophic and unexpected injuries dramatically increases. Unfortunately, recent research has shown that a large number of hazards remain unrecognized in construction workplaces. Likewise, past studies have demonstrated that safety risk is widely underestimated within construction. Therefore, to improve safety performance, a proper understanding of factors that influence hazard recognition and safety risk perception is vital. Towards achieving this goal, the objective of the research was to evaluate the effects of three factors -- namely (1) safety training methods, (2) training transfer elements, and (3) workplace distractions -- on hazard recognition and safety risk perception.;The research objectives were accomplished through three independent studies. Study I focused on evaluating the effect of training on hazard recognition performance and safety risk perception, Study II focused on evaluating the role of training transfer elements in ensuring that concepts learned in training are adopted at the workplace, and Study III examined the effect of distraction on hazard recognition and safety risk perception.;The objectives of Study I and Study II were accomplished by gathering empirical data from 51 active projects in the United States. Specifically, data pertaining to the training method (i.e., high-engagement versus low-engagement training) and training transfer elements adopted at the project level were gathered, following which the hazard recognition ability of representative workers and their safety risk perception levels were measured. The results revealed that (1) compared to low-engagement training, high-engagement training is associated with higher levels of hazard recognition and safety risk perception; (2) the effect of training on safety risk perception is mediated by hazard recognition performance; and (3) training efforts may be undermined if training transfer elements are not synergistically adopted.;The objectives of Study III were accomplished through an experimental effort involving 70 construction workers who were randomly assigned to a distracted or an undistracted condition. While in the assigned condition the worker's hazard recognition performance and safety risk perception levels were measured using construction case images captured from real projects. The findings revealed that the distracted workers recognized a smaller proportion of hazards compared to the undistracted workers. However, there were no significant differences in the level of perceived safety risk between the two groups.;This study advances knowledge by examining factors that affect hazard recognition and safety risk perception levels among construction workers. It is expected that the research, presented in this dissertation, will be beneficial to construction professionals and workers seeking to improve hazard recognition levels and safety outcomes in construction.