A Review of Social, Physiological, and Cognitive Factors Affecting Construction Safety

Safety improvement in construction remains a high priority due to the significant rate of accidents compared to other industries. Despite the ongoing multitude of safety studies and policy recommendations concerning the high rate of injuries and casualties in construction, the extent of damage sustained is still significant. Major research studies in construction safety are focused on identifying conditions and causal factors leading to near misses, incidents, and accidents. This paper aims to provide a review of such literature in construction safety from social and individual perspectives. Three major categories of construction safety factors, i.e., social, physiological, and cognitive factors, are synthesized, and the main findings in each category are presented. Implications of the findings are further discussed to guide the research and practice in construction safety management.