Risk-Taking Tendency Among Construction Workers

Landeweerd, J.A., Urlings, I.J.M., Jong, A.H.J. de, Nijhuis, F.J.N. and Bouter, L.M., 1990. Risk taking tendency among construction workers. Journal of Occupational Accidents, 11: 1833196. In line with a renewed interest in the role of individual characteristics in accidents, construction workers’ risk taking tendency (N = 284) has been related to their accident involvement and safety behaviour. It has also been compared with the scores of a group of male alpine skiers (N = 150) and a group of male general practitioners’ clients (N = 61) Two subscales (“Thrill and Adventure Seeking” and “Disinhibition”) of a validated Dutch version of the Zuckermann Sensation Seeking scale have been used. The results may also give indications as to the usefulness of the risk homeostasis theory for the understanding of safety problems in work situations. To enhance the comparability of the three groups, a statistical correction has been made for sex, education and age. The results cast some doubt on the assertion which is sometimes heard that construction workers might be characterized by a relatively high risk taking tendency. The applicability of the risk homeostasis theory to the work situation is questioned.

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