Risk perception, risk propensity, and unsafe behavior: An empirical study of workers in Chinese construction industry

Abstract

As one of the most important participants in construction industry, construction workers' unsafe behavior is very common on construction sites. From an individual level, this research aims to investigate the relationship among risk perception, risk propensity and unsafe behavior decision-making. A survey is conducted within first-line workers in Chinese construction projects. The results show that: 1) risk propensity is positively and significantly related to unsafe behavior, 2) risk perception is negatively and significantly related to unsafe behavior, 3) risk propensity is negatively and significantly related to risk perception, and 4) risk perception partly mediates the relationship between risk propensity and unsafe behavior. Thus, project managers should pay more attention to risk-seeking workers in order to reduce their unsafe behavior.