A model describing hazard identification effectiveness of workers in the construction and maintenance industry

Hazard identification is a very crucial part in any safety management system since it is the stage where a worker detects, recognizes and evaluates hazardous conditions in his/her work environment. From there, the worker is then able to perform necessary risk assessments and evaluate control measures that could be employed to ensure that the risks around him/her are minimized. There have been numerous researches circulated as well in the sole objective of improving the hazard identification effectiveness of a worker. However, all of them concentrate on leadership and management aspects, and in most cases, focusing on guidelines, policies and procedures. In this paper, a simple mathematical model that could be used to describe and measure a worker´s hazard identification effectiveness is proposed. It is argued that hazard identification is executed under three psychological stages: 1) signal detection of potential hazards; 2) recognition of potential hazards; and 3) evaluation of signal based on stock knowledge. The resulting model, although just a simple probability rule, may suggest that in order to improve the effectiveness of a worker´s hazard identification skills, the worker must: 1) be educated by increasing the knowledge base; and 2) improve his/her skills by performing continuous practice and coaching.