Identifying Vital Factors for Enhancing Safety Communication among Foreign Construction Field Workers

Abstract

Enhancing safety communication within the construction industry is of paramount importance due to its potential in curtailing occupational injuries and improving the overall well-being of construction field workers. While the importance of improved communication is apparent, few studies have been focused on identifying the factors that positively influence communication, particularly in the context of safety. Especially in the case of foreign construction field workers (FCFWs), who often face communication challenges stemming from language and cultural differences, performing labor tasks in harsh and constantly changing environments is contributing significantly to the increasing rate of industrial accidents. Therefore, this study is aimed at investigating the vital factors that impact safety communication among FCFWs. A phenomenological qualitative method was applied to determine the vital factors influencing the safety communication among FCFWs. On applying the analytical hierarchy process, the factors and their importance were determined, and the vital factors were identified. Quantitative assessment through the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) established that extrinsic motivation (weight: 0.513), management communication style (0.264), and visible safety information (0.127) significantly overshadow other factors in safety communication effectiveness, validating their pivotal roles. However, a major limitation is that interview data were collected from workers of only four nationalities. Future studies should address this by expanding the range of nationalities included to enhance the diversity of experiences and perspectives from a broader variety of foreign construction field workers.