JournalofConstructioninDevelopingCountries,Vol.12,No.1,2007PENERBITUNIVERSITISAINSMALAYSIA/1TheUnsafeActsandtheDecision-to-ErrFactorsofThaiConstructionWorkers*ThanetAksornandB.H.W.HadikusumoAbstract:Theunsafeactsofworkersareconsideredasmajorcontributorsofwork-relatedaccidentsandinjuriesonconstructionsites.However,notmuchworkhasbeendonetoaddressthereasonswhyunsafeactsofworkersoccurparticularlyinconstructionindustry.Theaimofthispapertherefore,istoinvestigatethemajorunsafeacts(i.e.,at-riskbehavior),andthedecision-to-errfactorscausingunsafeacts.Aquestionnairesurveywasconductedtocollectdatafromatotalof214workersfrom20buildingconstructionprojectsinThailand.Thefindingsrevealedthatthefailureofworkerstowearpersonalprotectiveequipment(PPE),improperliftingorhandlingofmaterials,andkeepingsharpobjectsindangerouslocations,arethemajorunsafeactswhichfrequentlyoccuronconstructionsitesinThailand.Inaddition,thepaperreportedthatthetopthreemostfrequentunsafeactsarestatisticallyassociatedwithseveraldecision-to-errfactors,includinglackofmanagementsupport,managementpressure,groupnorms,overconfidence,beinguncomfortable,pastexperienceandlaziness.Keywords:Accident,Construction,Decision-to-err,Humanfactor,Safety,Unsafebehavior.INTRODUCTIONInThailand,manyconstructionactivitieshavebeencarriedouttomeetthehighdemandsoftheexpansivemarket.However,theconstructionindustryhasfacedawiderangeofchallenges,oneofwhichisthehighaccidentandinjuryrateattheprojectlevel.AccordingtotheaccidentrateinallindustriesrecordedbyMinistryofLabour(InternationalLabourOrganization,2005),therateofaccidentsandConstructionEngineeringandInfrastructureManagement,SchoolofCivilEngineering,AsianInstituteofTechnology,Pathumthani,THAILAND.*Correspondingauthor:artty_th@yahoo.comfatalitiesinThaiconstructionisreportedasthehighest.In2003,theconstructionindustryaccountsfor14%ofthetotalnumberof787deathsatworkand24%ofthetotal17casesofpermanentdisability.Constructionisalabor-intensiveindustry,inwhichworkersplayaveryimportantroleinthesuccessofthevariousprojectsundertaken.Thus,theneedtoprotectworkersfromaccidentsbecomesamajorconsiderationinanyconstructionorganization.Formanyyears,safetypractitionershaveaddressedphysicalpreventivemeasuressuchasmachineguarding,housekeepingandinspection,sincepoorphysicalconditionsarebelievedtocauseaccidents.However,notThanetAksornandB.H.W.Hadikusumo2/PENERBITUNIVERSITISAINSMALAYSIAmuchpreventiveworkhasbeendoneonthehumanaspects.Thefactthatmanyresearchersareoftheopinionthatunsafeactsofworkersarethemajorcontributorsofaccidentsandinjuries,ratherthanpoorworkingconditions(e.g.,Sawachaetal.,1999;AbdelhamidandEverett,2000;Stranks,2000;Haupt,2001;Holt,2001;Goetsch,2005),suggeststhatthereistheneedforachangeofdirectioninconstructionsafetyresearchtoidentifythepossibleinfluentialfactorsofworkers'decisions.Theoretically,therearetwotypesofunsafeacts,whichcanbeclassifiedaseithererrorsorviolations(Reason,1990).Inthemostaccidentdatabases,theerrorsaremajorcontributortoaccidents.Violations,ontheotherhand,arelesscommon.Unsafeactsofworkersmayoccurintwoconditions.First,aworkerdoesnotknowwhilehe/sheisactingunsafelyandsecond,he/sheknowswhilehe/sheisactingunsafely.Thefirstcasecanbeeasilytackledbyprovidingsafetyeducationtotheworker,closesupervision,goodworksystemdesign,etc.However,thesecondcaseismorecomplexbecausethereasonsforactingunsafelycould...
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