Risk perception in the construction industry: A literature review and future research directions

Abstract

Background: Risk perception is an intuitive risk about hazards to which people are exposed daily and is related to several factors. In the construction context, there is a need to identify and understand how risk perception is related to these factors; construction companies can implement this information to develop measures for effective risk management.

Objective: This literature review aims to identify recommendations for future research about factors that may be related to risk perception in construction workers.

Methods: We used the SPIDER tool and searched available electronic databases for the most recent research articles published on risk perception in the construction area.

Results: We identified main recommendations for future research: Behavior, environment and working conditions, risk assessment methods, culture, individual and demographic factors, and knowledge.

Conclusion: Safety behavior is the primary variable of concern in studies related to risk perception in the construction area. Therefore, further research is needed to identify the factors that intervene and impact risk perception to reduce accident rates among construction industry workers.

Keywords: Occupational health; accident prevention; accidents; occupational accidents; public health.