ABSTRACT

Manuscript type: Research Paper

Research aims:

Workers in Indonesia lack good safety behavior. specially carpenters in Indonesia, marked by a high incidence of mortality, morbidity, and disability caused by occupational accidents. The condition needs careful observation and correct decision if we are to change the workers’ behavior, since it involves many sociocultural demographic factors. The aim of this study is to   identify influencing factors to workers’ safety behavior among carpenters in the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), and among non-permanent construction workers.

Design/ methodology/ Approach:

A Qualitative study was conducted using in-depth interviews and focus group discussion (FGD) with semi-structured guidelines, conducted in 2 MSME carpenter industries and 1 construction site of a national construction company. The FGD involved 3 layers; the workers, supervisors, and management staff. Phenomenology approach was used as conceptual framework.

Research findings:

Adequate safety behavior perception was found among carpenters, due to their long work experience, although they have low educational level. Carpenter’s attitude and behavior that did not comply with safe behavior were influenced by lack of motivation, interest, role model, readiness, policy and supervision. Supervisors were not regarded as role models and are weak in supervision. Management already provides standard infrastructure and facilities, but is weak in terms of policy, regulation, training, and also reward and punishment system. Similar condition was found among construction workers that did not wear personal protective equipment (PPE) on a regular basis, due to limited knowledge of PPE function, and misperception of self-concept of the importance of wearing PPE.

Theoretical contributions/ Originality:

Many studies about workers’ safety have been conducted and published, but very few used qualitative approach and explore directly workers’ perception toward safety and workers’ safety. This study enriches the fact that sociocultural demographic factors do play a role in forming worker’s behavior.

Practitioner/ Policy Implications:

The study confirms existing opinion that in this digitalization era, many workers are still working in formal and non-formal setting in Indonesia and still needs strong policy and control to protect them from mortality, morbidity and work accident.

Research limitation:

Research limitation was that it involved only limited number and type of industrial companies. Larger research involving more variety of companies and workers would provide a bigger scope of observation, thus leading to more generalized conclusion.

Keywords: workers’ safety, carpenter, construction worker, behavior.