Health and Safety Perception of Construction Workers in Saudi Arabia

The construction industry continues to rank as one of the highest risk industries. This can be attributed to rising trends in industrialization and the increasing size and complexity of construction projects [1]. Consequently, the construction industry has the highest rate of fatal accidents as well as disabling injuries compared to other high-risk industries [2]. These accidents have serious economic and social consequences [3]. Besides the loss of life and property, financial losses could be attributed to medical bills for the treatment and rehabilitation of injured persons, downtime due to the suspension of production, workers’ compensation, cost of repair and/or replacement of damaged equipment, amongst others [4]. The risks are further increased when there is a general lack of awareness or the absence of strict implementation of safety rules and regulations predominate. The prevalence of such behaviors and attitudes impedes the progress and overall success of an organization. For instance, a study of 27 countries in the European Union showed that: for every 100,000 people employed in the construction industry, 3,000 people undergo accidents at work, while six people per each 100,000 of employees fall victim to fatal accidents [5]. Literature reveals that employees’ attitudes towards safety have been referred to as safety “culture” and “climate” [6]. The perceptions and beliefs of workers, their behavior and the established management sysHEALTH AND SAFETY PERCEPTION OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS IN SAUDI ARABIA