ABSTRACT
Humans possess characteristics that can give rise to accidental injury or ill health. For example, unsafe behaviours can occur when people are not aware of the hazards associated with their work, or underestimate the risks involved. Workers may feel that it is not ‘macho’ to follow safety procedures, such as wearing protective equipment, or may rationalise the risk, believing ‘it won’t happen to me’. Some people may deviate from safety procedures to gain some personal benefit, such as getting home earlier or receiving a bonus. In the context of the intense time pressures typical of construction work, people may even cut corners in the belief that they are acting in the interests of their employer in finishing the job early or on time to avoid penalties. Also, quite simply, humans are fallible and behave unpredictably, perhaps due to tiredness or a preoccupation with other issues.
