Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 2025, 15(5), 2025-181
A Comparison of Construction Accident Cognition: A Case Study of Construction Managers
1
Distinguished Professor, Dean College of Engineering, National Yunlin
University of Science and Technology, 123 University Rd Douliu, Yunlin
County, Taiwan, Taiwan, E-mail: chenwt@yuntech.edu.tw
2 Ph.D. student, Graduate School of Engineering Science and
Technology (Construction Engineering), National Yunlin University of
Science and Technology, Douliu, Taiwan, 123 University Rd Douliu, Yunlin
County, Taiwan, E-mail: d11310218@yuntech.edu.tw
3Assistant Professor, Elite Program of Engineering College,
National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Douliu, Taiwan,
123 University Rd Douliu, Yunlin County, Taiwan, E-mail: hmerrett@yuntech.edu.tw
(corresponding author).
Project Management
Received April 30, 2025; revised June 16, 2025; August 25, 2025; accepted August 25, 2025
Available online November 25, 2025
Abstract:
Construction safety performance relies on the complex management
decision-making process, directly impacting safety results. In this
study, the management-level staff working on highway construction
projects in Taiwan were surveyed on the extent to which they identified
unsafe behaviours of construction workers. In the study, a total of 191
valid responses were collected through a structured questionnaire from
highway construction site managers in Taiwan. Quantitative methods,
including chi-square tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis,
were used to test four hypotheses regarding the influence of personal
and site-related factors on the accident cognition of manager-level
staff.
Leadership qualities, together with work experience and educational
attainment, were found to determine how managers identify and address
safety risks. The strong relationship between site conditions and
accident cognition validated all four research hypotheses posed.
Furthermore, effective management was found to play an essential part in
developing a safety culture, which leads to decreased construction
accidents. The experience, education, and safety education and training
of the highway construction site managers are significantly correlated
with accident perception. Individual variables such as the degree of
identification, institutional aspects, and implementation aspects are
the main factors that trigger unsafe behaviours of construction workers.
The construction managers’ site safety management and background
experience can be used to predict workers’ safety attitudes, safe habits
and occupational accidents.
Keywords: Highway construction projects, fatal occupational accidents (FOAs), accident cognition, safety management.
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Citation: Chen, W. T., Mubasher, M., and Merrett, H. C. (2025). A Comparison of Construction Accident Cognition: A Case Study of Construction Managers. Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 15(5), 2025-181.
DOI:
10.32738/JEPPM-2025-181
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