Effects of Demographic Characteristics on Safety Climate and Construction Worker Safety Behavior

Abstract

Safety climate and safety behavior have been proven to be critical for construction safety. However, few studies have systematically tested the influences of demographic characteristics on construction worker safety, especially in the background of China’s construction industry. There is still a gap in the demographics–safety relationship, which may reduce the relevance and effectiveness of safety measures. This study explored the effects of five demographic factors (gender, age, work experience, education level, and employer size) on two safety indicators (safety climate and construction worker safety behavior). The survey data were collected from Chinese construction workers. The t-test and one-way ANOVA methods were adopted to examine the demographic differences. The results show that all five demographic factors have significant effects on safety climate, while three (age, education level, and employer size) have significant influences on construction worker safety behavior. However, the remaining two demographic factors (gender and work experience) do not show significant effects on construction worker safety behavior. The results remind the safety management personnel to take a pragmatic approach and to formulate safety measures based on the demographic characteristics of different worker sub-groups.