Abstract
We developed a visual tool to assess risk perception for a sample of male construction workers (forty Italian and twenty-eight immigrant workers), just before and after a sixteen-hour training course. The questionnaire included photographs of real construction sites, and workers were instructed to select pictograms representing the occupational risks present in each photograph. Points were awarded for correctly identifying any risks that were present, and points were deducted for failing to identify risks that were present or identifying risks that were not present. We found: (1) Before the course, risk perception was significantly lower in immigrants compared to Italians (p < .001); (2) risk perception improved significantly (p < .001) among all workers tested; and (3) after the training, the difference in risk perception between Italians and immigrants was no longer statistically significant (p = .1086). Although the sample size was relatively small, the results suggest that the training is effective and may reduce the degree to which cultural and linguistic barriers hinder risk perception. Moreover, the use of images and pictograms instead of words to evaluate risk perception could also be applied to nonconstruction workplaces.
Highlights
The high risk of occupational injuries in the construction industry is well known
About half the sample had never worked in construction or had less than one year of experience, whereas 29 percent of immigrants compared to 7.5 percent of Italians had worked in construction for six to ten years, while a quarter of the Italians had worked more than ten years, compared to 7 percent for immigrants; in any case, once again the differences between the groups are not significant
Not surprisingly, only 21 percent of immigrant workers held a position with a higher level of qualification than general construction worker, compared to 35 percent of Italians, but the difference is not significant
Summary
The high risk of occupational injuries in the construction industry is well known. In 2017, more than 20 percent of all fatal injuries at work in Europe occurred in this sector.[1] Figures show that construction in many countries outside Europe is as dangerous as in Europe or even more so. Due to the inherent danger of this industry, an accurate perception of risk is important so that workers can protect themselves. We assume that risk perception is the result of subjective considerations on the probability of suffering damage to health, regarding a source of risk, and the consequent emotions that it arouses.[2]. Familiarity with a task has been found to diminish the risk perception associated with frequently performed activities.[3]
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