Risk Perception and Mitigation in Hand Tool Use: A Comparative Study of Industrial Safety Perspectives from Ecuador and Hungary

There is an increasing trend to develop innovative information technologies that empower industrial companies and tool suppliers to pioneer new production methods and technologies. This study aims to support innovation in industrial practices by using information technologies to enable companies and tool suppliers to adopt advanced production methods. By focusing on the usability of hand tools, the research seeks to establish essential parameters and focuses on analyzing the perception of risk and its associated benefits when using hand tools. To examine risk perception and risk benefits when using hand tools, the analysis data were collected from workers in two countries and included studies processed by Domain-Specific Risk-Taking (DOSPERT). As a result, it is identified as risk-seeking in the sphere of workers who are very confident in their ability and capacity to perform the determined tasks and carry out risk aversion with other external parameters related to hand tools and environmental characteristics. In addition, the risk perception and worker behavior to deal with it are delineated, giving parameters to help managers avoid workers’ injuries or illnesses, identifying the main risk domains for using hand tools use in specific industrial tasks.