Analyzing safety behaviors of temporary construction workers using structural equation modeling

Abstract

Currently, the construction industry in Korea reports the highest frequency of industrial accidents, mostly among temporary workers. Domestic and international disaster-related reports indicate that temporary workers have high risk associated with working environments as a major cause of accidents. We established relationships between the individual and organizational factors that affect temporary workers’ safety behaviors using structural equation modeling (SEM). SEM is used to estimate simultaneously the cause-and-effect relationships between many independent variables and dependent variables. A questionnaire was administered to temporary construction workers, and the following results were obtained. First, personal characteristics had a partial effect on job stress and a direct effect on safety culture. Second, personal characteristics and job stress had a direct effect on self-perceived fatigue. Third, personal characteristics and safety culture had a direct effect on safety climate, and personal characteristics also had an indirect effect. Finally, personal characteristics had no direct effect on safety behavior, but did have indirect effects. Job stress had both a direct and indirect effect. Safety culture had no direct effect, but did have an indirect effect. Also, safety climate had a significant direct effect. These findings can be used as preliminary data to develop additional safety programs for temporary construction workers.