Abstract
Despite attempts to improve safety performance, the construction industry continues to account for a disproportionate rate of injuries. A large proportion of these injuries occur because workers are unable to recognize and respond to hazards in dynamic and unpredictable environments. Unrecognized hazards expose workers to unanticipated risks and can lead to catastrophic accidents. In order to enhance hazard recognition skills, employers often put new and experienced workers through formal hazard recognition training programs. Unfortunately, current training programs primarily rely on instructor-centric pedagogical approaches, which are insensitive to the adult learning process. In order to ensure effective adult learning, training programs must integrate learner-centric andragogical principles to improve engagement and retention in adult trainees. This paper aims to discuss training program elements that can potentially accelerate the adult learning process while improving safety knowledge retention. To this end, the researchers reviewed relevant literature on the cognitive processes of adult learning, essential components of effectual training programs and developed a reliable framework for the training and transfer of safety knowledge. A case example of successfully using the framework is also presented. The results of the study will provide safety trainers and construction professionals with valuable information on developing effective hazard recognition and receptor training programs, with the goal of improving construction safety performance.
Highlights
Despite decades of research to improve safety performance in the construction sector, the industry continues to be a leading contributor to on-the-job injuries (Ahmed et al 2000; Findley et al 2004)
This paper explores the cognitive process through which adults learn and provides a reliable framework for designing highly effective hazard recognition training programs through the incorporation of andragogical principles
Several researchers have attributed this lack in skill-sets to insufficient and ineffective training programs within the construction sector
Summary
Despite decades of research to improve safety performance in the construction sector, the industry continues to be a leading contributor to on-the-job injuries (Ahmed et al 2000; Findley et al 2004). In Australia, according to Safe Work Australia (2009), workers in the construction sector accounted for almost 25% higher injury rates when compared to the cumulative all-industry performance. Such high injury rates are typical of the global construction industry and occur partly because workers lack the required skill-sets to recognize and respond to hazards in a timely manner. Results of recent studies conducted by Carter and Smith (2006) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC 2012); reveal that construction personnel lack adequate skills to recognize hazards. Unrecognized hazards in the preconstruction safety evaluation process can result in a suboptimal safety plan and unanticipated hazardous conditions
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