THE EFFECT OF ATTITUDES ON THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY ACTIONS OF AUSTRALIAN CONSTRUCTION WORKERS: THE RESULTS OF A FIELD STUDY

Abstract

The recognition that unsafe behavior is a factor in the majority of workplace accidents has led to considerable research effort in the behavioral aspects of occupational health and safety (OHS). Much of this research has focused on the effect of external stimuli, such as feedback and rewards, on workers' actions. The role of internal cues, such as workers' beliefs and attitudes towards OHS, on their actual behavior has been less thoroughly investigated. This paper presents the findings of a study in which a sample of Australian construction workers' attitudes towards OHS were explored in indepth interviews and their OHS behavior was directly observed. Measurements were taken before and after the workers attended a first aid training course. The results of the study suggest that the first aid training changed the workers' attitudes towards OHS. In particular, the first aid training appeared to make participants more aware that their own behavior is an important factor in the avoidance of occupational injury and increase participants' perceived probability that they would suffer an accident at work. The training also appeared to reduce participants' willingness to accept prevailing levels of OHS risk and participants' expressed a greater concern about taking risks and a stronger intention to avoid occupational injuries after undergoing first aid training. This change in behavioral intention was reflected in improvements in safety behavior observed in the categories of housekeeping, use of tools, personal protective equipment and access to heights. However, no improvements in manual handling were observed. The results of the study are presented and discussed in terms of Ajzen's theory of planned behavior.