Alex Albert

Role of Safety Training: Impact on Hazard Recognition and Safety Risk Perception

AbstractHazard recognition and the accurate perception of safety risk are fundamental to the success of any safety program. When hazards remain unrecognized, or the associated safety risk is underestimated, the likelihood of catastrophic and unexpected injuries dramatically increase. Unfortunately, recent research has found that a large number of hazards in construction remain unrecognized. Likewise, past studies have demonstrated that safety risk is widely underestimated within construction. To improve hazard recognition and the accurate perception of safety risk, employers adopt a wide variety of training programs. However, the prevalent use of ineffective and unengaging training methods have significantly impeded training efforts in construction. The purpose of this research was to assess the impact of safety training on two objective training outcomes: hazard recognition performance and safety risk perception. The research objectives were accomplished by gathering empirical data from 51 active project...

Improving Hazard-Recognition Performance and Safety Training Outcomes: Integrating Strategies for Training Transfer

AbstractMost construction safety activities focus on managing identified hazards. Hazards that remain unrecognized, and as a result unmanaged, can potentially result in catastrophic and unexpected injuries. Therefore, proper hazard recognition is foundational to the success of any safety program. However, recent research has revealed that a large proportion of construction hazards remain unrecognized in construction projects. To improve hazard recognition performance, employers provide their workers with safety and hazard recognition training. Despite these efforts, desirable levels of hazard recognition have not been achieved, and the anticipated return on investment (ROI) from training has not been attained. Such failures in training efforts are partly because knowledge acquired through training programs is often not transferred or applied in the workplace. Subsequently, training efforts do not alter work practices or behavior once workers return to the field. Other reasons for training failure include ...

Why Do Construction Hazards Remain Unrecognized at the Work Interface

AbstractProper hazard recognition is an essential prerequisite to effective safety management. However, recent research has demonstrated that a large proportion of safety hazards remain unrecognize...

Development and Testing of a Personalized Hazard-Recognition Training Intervention

AbstractUnrecognized or unmanaged hazards can expose workers to unanticipated safety risk and can potentially result in catastrophic safety incidents. Unfortunately, recent research has demonstrate...

Multiple Baseline Testing: Experimental Method for Drawing Causal Inferences in Construction Engineering and Management Research

AbstractIdentifying and evaluating solutions for critical industry challenges is a major theme of construction engineering and management (CEM) research. Researchers and practitioners in the construction sector often seek to invent, test, implement, and disseminate practical interventions that improve safety, productivity, quality, and other project success factors. Robust scientific research design is imperative for drawing valid causal inferences when testing the impact of new interventions. Unfortunately, the transient and dynamic nature of construction obfuscates the isolation of variables, thus making true experiments impractical or unethical. With roots in pharmaceutical research, multiple baseline testing (MBT), commonly known as multiple baseline design, is a promising and viable experimental technique that provides reinforced evidence for drawing causal inferences and analyzing change. The requisite process of replication through concurrent longitudinal studies, phased implementation, and inter- ...

Modeling the role of social networks in situational awareness and hazard communication

Hazard recognition and communication is critical for preventing injuries on construction projects. Across the industry, employers encourage workers to conduct regular pre-job safety meetings and hazard analyses to identify, communicate, and mitigate site-based hazards. Although such programs promote safety, potential benefits are often lost because of inefficient communication channels, differences in language proficiency, and poor safety culture. In this study, we use social network analysis (SNA) to explore the relationship between patterns of worker interaction and situational hazard awareness on active projects in the United States. Specifically, we (1) gathered hazard recognition and communication level data from 18 active construction crews involved in diverse projects and trades through field observations; (2) measured and modeled safety interaction among crew members using social network analysis; and (3) related network characteristics with situational awareness capability of the crews. The results of the study provide strong evidence suggesting that well-connected crews with higher network density outperform poorly-connected crews in identifying and communicating hazards. As a result, it is necessary that safety practitioners not only implement traditional program elements but also promote efficient and frequent interaction among workers of all trades.

Automating Analysis of Construction Workers’ Viewing Patterns for Personalized Safety Training and Management

Unrecognized hazards increase the likelihood of workplace fatalities and injuries substantially. However, recent research has demonstrated that a large proportion of hazards remain unrecognized in dynamic construction environments. Recent studies have suggested a strong correlation between viewing patterns of workers and their hazard recognition performance. Hence, it is important to study and analyze the viewing patterns of workers to gain a better understanding of their hazard recognition performance. The objective of this exploratory research is to explore hazard recognition as a visual search process to identifying various visual search factors that affect the process of hazard recognition. Further, the study also proposes a framework to develop a vision based tool capable of recording and analyzing viewing patterns of construction workers and generate feedback for personalized training and proactive safety management.

Managing active cultural differences in U.S. construction workplaces: Perspectives from non-Hispanic workers

INTRODUCTION Current census reports indicate a growing shift toward workforce diversity in the U.S. construction industry, which is largely the result of increasing participation from the Hispanic community. The data also suggest that the Hispanic workforce suffers a higher rate of fatal injuries compared to their non-Hispanic counterparts. Therefore, there is a dire need to develop and utilize new management tools and strategies to accommodate the differences in language and culture of this incoming labor force. METHOD The absence of these tools and strategies poses several challenges including cost overrun, schedule delay, and more importantly, higher workplace injury rates. This study aims to provide a better understanding of the contribution of cultural diversity as a factor that may influence the overall site safety. RESULTS As a result, this study provides further evidence that indicate that the current findings regarding the influence of active cultural differences are reliable, valid, and needs attention. Furthermore, the study provides sub-analysis results of cultural values among Hispanic workers, which suggest that workers from Mexico are less likely to speak up on safety issues when compared to other Hispanic workers. Therefore, this study has both practical and theoretical implications for managing workforce diversity and related safety performance in the U.S. construction industry. The results of the study can be used by employers and managers to adopt responsive strategies and tools to reduce the likelihood of fatal and nonfatal injuries among Hispanic workers.