Human factors in reducing accident risk in scaffold use construction processes

Introduction Authors analyze psychosocial characteristics of construction workers. In this paper we focused on the evaluation  of the risks associated with work on scaffolding, in the aspect of assessment individual risk perception and the Safety Climate in construction enterprises. Methods The research report is part of multi-disciplinary research project "Model for Assessing the Risk of Construction Disasters, Accidents and Dangerous Events at Scaffold Workstations" granted by National Centre for Research and Development under the Applied Research Program – PBS3/A2/19/2015. The research was conducted in 2016, on various sites in Poland. Results The study involved 160 people (2 female 158 male). The dedicated, validated questionnaire have been involved to gather the data. The respondents were construction workers - in various positions, aged 18-68. They worked on their position for not less than half a month and no longer than 40 years. Everyone in their professional duties had a job at a height/scaffold. Respondents declared high life and professional satisfaction. They also rated their professional skills well. The researchers found that their professional work was associated with an average level of risk. Most of the workers in the study stated that they did not want to change their jobs. Detailed analysis was also given to the motives for choosing a profession, as well as the professional goals declared by the respondents. The respondents asked about motives for choosing profession declared financial considerations (50% respondents acknowledged this as a key motive), and satisfaction with their work/creation (> 15% respondents mentioned this motif as key). On the other hand, every tenth person said that the choice of career path was dictated mostly by the previous education. Half of the respondents rated their wages as the target of their work on the site. Every tenth person mentions as the most important goal of getting professional satisfaction /job satisfaction. Nearly 10% of the workforce seeks to acquire additional qualifications, professional development. The subjects were also asked about possible ailments. Of the 10 people surveyed, they admitted to having a chronic illness and 8 people taking the appropriate medicines. The respondents were asked if there were people who used to use the drug. Nearly half of the respondents admitted that they noticed contact with other people's pills. When the question concerned directly the respondents – 20% gave an affirmative answer. Conclusions This work is not just a psychosocial study. Research results can be used to discuss more effective job/safer workplace and work regimen profiling, a friendly working environment conducive to better occupational health and safety. The knowledge of this occupational group can also be used to develop preliminary guidance or to plan further research in the field of health. It is disturbing that relatively high consumption/contact with the various uses of workers who work on the site, especially on scaffolding. The authors expect that the work will constitute a valuable module of the Scaffold Use Risk Assessment Model implementing human factor to reduce accident risk and severity in the construction companies.