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Occupational Safety and Health in Building Construction Project
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Occupational Safety and Health in Building Construction Project

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction Management, and Computers & Digitization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 15332

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Guodong Ni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Interests: safety management; occupational health; knowledge management; organizational behavior; green and low-carbon construction
Dr. Chunlin Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Economics and Management, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
Interests: safety management; occupational health; knowledge management; organizational behavior; corporate innovation
Dr. Fan Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Management Science and Engineering, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing 100084, China
Interests: occupational health psychology; organizational behavior; green and low-carbon construction
Dr. Miaomiao Niu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Interests: construction safety; safety climates/cultures; digital model use in construction; construction robotics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We cordially invite you to contribute to our Special Issue entitled “Occupational Safety and Health in Building Construction Project”.

The construction industry is marked by a challenging work environment, high labor intensity, unstable organization structures, significant safety risks, and limited working resources. Construction employees, including workers, engineering management personnel, technicians, designers, and project consulting engineers are exposed to considerable work stress, burnout, work–family conflicts, occupational diseases,  and other health-related challenges. Moreover, the construction industry is currently navigating a transitional phase towards high-quality development, driven by the advent of intelligent construction and prefabricated construction.  Despite these advancements, the safety landscape remains concerning, with frequent accidents plaguing production activities.

This Special Issue seeks to gather original research that bridges disciplines of occupational health and safety in construction projects, contributing to the healthy and sustainable development of the construction industry. Key topics of interest include workplace stress, job burnout, mental health, occupational disease, well-being at work, the work–family interface, accidents, safe/unsafe behavior, safety climates/cultures, AI-based safety and health management, the application of BIM in safety control, safety and health management in human–robot interactions (HRIs), etc. We welcome both qualitative and quantitative research, provided that submissions are underpinned by rigorous logical frameworks, theoretical bases, or are supported by empirical data. In addition, we encourage the use of novel theories, research methodologies, and tools.

Kind regards.

Prof. Dr. Guodong Ni
Dr. Chunlin Wu
Dr. Fan Yang
Dr. Miaomiao Niu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • workplace stress
  • job burnout
  • mental health
  • work–family interface
  • occupational diseases
  • well-being at work
  • accidents
  • safe/unsafe behavior safety climates/cultures
  • safety management

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 1120 KB  
Article
Using Family Work Balance to Reduce Unsafe Behavior Among New-Generation Construction Workers from the Turkish Context
by Aisha Alarebi, Benard Vetbuje, Ahmad Bassam Alzubi and Kolawole Iyiola
Buildings 2026, 16(1), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16010031 - 21 Dec 2025
Viewed by 320
Abstract
Unsafe behavior continues to be one of the leading causes of injuries and fatalities in the construction sector, despite the implementation of extensive safety programs and training. This enduring challenge suggests that deeper psychological and family-related factors influencing workers’ behavior remain underexplored. Grounded [...] Read more.
Unsafe behavior continues to be one of the leading causes of injuries and fatalities in the construction sector, despite the implementation of extensive safety programs and training. This enduring challenge suggests that deeper psychological and family-related factors influencing workers’ behavior remain underexplored. Grounded in Spillover Theory and the Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, this study investigates how family–work balance influences unsafe behavior among new-generation construction workers in Turkey, while examining the mediating role of hardiness and the moderating effect of mastery climate. Using a cross-sectional survey design with data collected from 692 construction workers across major Turkish cities, the study employs the Hayes PROCESS macro to test direct, indirect, and conditional effects. The findings reveal that family–work balance and hardiness both negatively predict unsafe behavior, while family–work balance positively relates to hardiness. Moreover, hardiness partially mediates the link between family–work balance and unsafe behavior, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the total effect. Additionally, a mastery climate strengthens these negative associations, demonstrating that supportive and learning-oriented environments amplify the safety-enhancing effects of both family–work balance and hardiness. These results extend the theoretical understanding of how personal and contextual resources interact to influence safety outcomes, offering actionable insights for construction firms to promote family-supportive policies, resilience-building initiatives, and mastery-oriented climates that jointly foster safer work practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational Safety and Health in Building Construction Project)
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25 pages, 797 KB  
Article
Workplace Stress Among Construction Professionals: The Influence of Demographic and Institutional Characteristics
by Eda Selcuk and Selin Gundes
Buildings 2025, 15(24), 4460; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15244460 - 10 Dec 2025
Viewed by 499
Abstract
The construction sector is traditionally known for a harsh working culture characterized by uncertainty, frequent crises, and long working hours, which increase stress among employees at all organizational levels. The primary objective of the present research is to examine the extent to which [...] Read more.
The construction sector is traditionally known for a harsh working culture characterized by uncertainty, frequent crises, and long working hours, which increase stress among employees at all organizational levels. The primary objective of the present research is to examine the extent to which workplace stress factors grouped under organisational/interpersonal, task and physical stressor categories influence professionals within the construction industry. A cross-sectional online survey of 185 construction professionals in Turkey was conducted between October 2024 and February 2025. Findings reveal that the task stressors category associated with increased workload exerts the most significant adverse effect on employees, while organisational/interpersonal stressors are the least impactful. The analysis also shows significant variations in perceptions across different demographic and workplace contexts. An overwhelming majority of significant differences between male and female employees occur within the “Organizational/Interpersonal Stressors”, with six out of the eight significant factors falling under this category. In particular, the most pronounced gender-based differences are observed in specific areas such as gender and age discrimination in promotion and development opportunities at work, fear of failure at the job/job insecurity and insufficient encouragement/support from managers. In addition, young professionals and employees of medium sized firms are found to be more severely influenced by task stressors. By highlighting the differing perceptions of stress factors among employees based on their demographic profiles, these findings provide insights for managers in formulating effective organizational policies. Establishing goals about streamlining tasks, reviewing hiring policies to reduce workloads, providing guidance and training for employees’ task prioritization skills, and implementing workload redistribution strategies are some of the strategies that may be considered by organisations in the construction industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational Safety and Health in Building Construction Project)
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58 pages, 4563 KB  
Article
Understanding the Relationship Between Safety Satisfaction and Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR), and Their Relevant Processes Through Self-Determination Theory
by Kritsada Khun-anod, Tsunemi Watanabe and Satoshi Tsuchiya
Buildings 2025, 15(8), 1274; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15081274 - 13 Apr 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1623
Abstract
Although previous studies identified safety indicators and their significant correlations, some construction projects still fail to comply with this pattern. Furthermore, the past literature has rarely explored this issue. To address this gap, this study examined (1) the relationship between safety satisfaction and [...] Read more.
Although previous studies identified safety indicators and their significant correlations, some construction projects still fail to comply with this pattern. Furthermore, the past literature has rarely explored this issue. To address this gap, this study examined (1) the relationship between safety satisfaction and TRIR, (2) factors influencing safety satisfaction, and (3) factors affecting TRIR. Data from 195 safety officers were analyzed using self-determination theory and safety performance measures. Correlation analysis showed a weak correlation and non-significant link between satisfaction and TRIR, challenging common assumptions. To explore objectives (2) and (3), projects were divided into small-scale and large-scale categories using latent profile analysis and one-way ANOVA, identifying three officer profiles per category. These profiles were compared based on support from managers, motivation, and engagement, with in-depth interviews validating the quantitative findings. For small-scale projects, three safety officer characteristics emerged: (1) realistic officers, (2) perfectionistic officers, and (3) undemanding officers. Large-scale projects revealed similar characteristics for realistic and perfectionistic officers, while a third type, learning officers, emerged. This study revealed hidden characteristics linking safety satisfaction and TRIR in both project scales, emphasizing the need for tailored safety initiatives to enhance officers’ capabilities (i.e., in managing conflicts and unexpected events). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational Safety and Health in Building Construction Project)
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27 pages, 1459 KB  
Article
Formation Mechanism and Evolutionary Laws of Well-Being at Work Among the New Generation of Construction Workers in China
by Yunpeng Hu, Guanghui Tian, Lan Gao, Yangyang Yu and Guodong Ni
Buildings 2025, 15(5), 799; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15050799 - 1 Mar 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1486
Abstract
Improving well-being at work is crucial for increasing employment among construction workers and ensuring the healthy and sustainable development of China’s construction industry. Construction workers generally experience insufficient sleep, heavy workloads, work–family conflict, etc. At present, the new generation of construction workers (NGCWs) [...] Read more.
Improving well-being at work is crucial for increasing employment among construction workers and ensuring the healthy and sustainable development of China’s construction industry. Construction workers generally experience insufficient sleep, heavy workloads, work–family conflict, etc. At present, the new generation of construction workers (NGCWs) born after 1980 is gradually becoming the main force at construction sites in China. The value concepts, life attitudes, and personality traits of this group are significantly different from those of the older generations. Given the generational differences among construction workers, this study focuses on the formation mechanism and explores the evolutionary laws of well-being at work among NGCWs. In-depth interviews with 23 new-generation construction workers were conducted, and data analysis followed a three-step coding process based on grounded theory. Then, a three-stage formation mechanism model was constructed through continuous analysis. Finally, the casual and stock–flow diagrams were drawn and simulated on the basis of the system dynamics. The results indicated that well-being at work was directly influenced by internal work motivation. Both individual characteristics and the external environment played a role in shaping work motivation; however, the key difference lay in the fact that the external environment impacted internal work motivation through the mediation of individual-environment matching. Moreover, enhanced well-being at work led to a higher level of workers’ internal needs, which, in turn, further increased the complexity of individual-environment matching. Meanwhile, individual characteristics affected the process by which motivation was transformed into well-being at work. The level of well-being showed an upward tendency under the synergistic influence of different factors; the increasing rate was high and subsequently low. Furthermore, salary, job competence, and belonging needs can significantly affect well-being at work. These findings provide theoretical support and practical references to China’s construction companies and government departments for the purpose of improving NGCWs’ well-being at work. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational Safety and Health in Building Construction Project)
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23 pages, 1045 KB  
Article
Impact of Safety Leadership and Employee Morale on Safety Performance: The Moderating Role of Harmonious Safety Passion
by Emhemed Slil, Kolawole Iyiola, Ahmad Alzubi and Hasan Yousef Aljuhmani
Buildings 2025, 15(2), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15020186 - 10 Jan 2025
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4929
Abstract
Construction sites are among the most hazardous workplaces, making safety a critical concern in the sector. This study investigates the interplay between safety leadership, employee morale, harmonious safety passion, and safety performance through the lens of the social exchange theory. This research aims [...] Read more.
Construction sites are among the most hazardous workplaces, making safety a critical concern in the sector. This study investigates the interplay between safety leadership, employee morale, harmonious safety passion, and safety performance through the lens of the social exchange theory. This research aims to assess how safety leadership impacts safety performance directly and indirectly, with employee morale acting as a mediator while harmonious safety passion moderates these relationships. A quantitative approach was employed, with data collected through structured questionnaires administered to construction workers in Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey. A total of 438 valid responses were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 25) and Analysis of Moment Structures (version 24) for reliability, validity, and hypothesis testing. The findings confirm that safety leadership positively influences both safety performance and employee morale. Employees with high morale directly contribute to improved safety performance and act as a mediator between safety leadership and safety performance. Additionally, harmonious safety passion moderates the relationship between employee morale and safety performance, strengthening the link for workers with higher levels of passion. However, its moderating effect on the relationship between safety leadership and safety performance was not significant. These insights offer practical implications for designing safety training programs, leadership development initiatives, and policies aimed at improving safety outcomes in construction. Future research should explore longitudinal designs and diverse contexts to further validate these findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational Safety and Health in Building Construction Project)
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20 pages, 883 KB  
Article
Evaluating the Safety Climate in Construction Projects: A Longitudinal Mixed-Methods Study
by Miaomiao Niu and Robert M. Leicht
Buildings 2024, 14(12), 4070; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14124070 - 21 Dec 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5050
Abstract
Safety climate has been extensively studied using survey-based approaches, providing significant insights into safety perceptions and behaviors. However, understanding its dynamics in construction projects requires methods that address temporal and trade-specific variability. This study employs a longitudinal, mixed-methods design to explore safety climate [...] Read more.
Safety climate has been extensively studied using survey-based approaches, providing significant insights into safety perceptions and behaviors. However, understanding its dynamics in construction projects requires methods that address temporal and trade-specific variability. This study employs a longitudinal, mixed-methods design to explore safety climate dynamics. Quantitative data analyzed with ANOVA revealed stable overall safety climate scores across project phases, while Item Response Theory (IRT) identified survey items sensitive to safety climate changes. Positive perceptions were associated with management commitment and regular safety meetings, while negative perceptions highlighted challenges such as workplace congestion and impractical safety rules. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews uncovered trade-specific and phase-specific safety challenges, including issues tied to site logistics and workforce dynamics. For instance, transitioning from structural to interior work introduced congestion-related risks and logistical complexities, underscoring the need for phase-adapted strategies. This combination of quantitative stability and qualitative variability provides empirical evidence of safety climate dynamics in construction. The findings emphasize the importance of tailoring safety interventions to address trade-specific and phase-specific risks. This study advances the understanding of the safety climate in dynamic work environments and offers actionable recommendations for improving construction safety management through targeted, proactive strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational Safety and Health in Building Construction Project)
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