DEMATEL Modelling of the Behavioural Factors Causing Poor Safety Practices in the Construction of High-Rise Buildings in Saudi Arabia

The study presented in this paper focuses on addressing important concerns about the most critical behavioural factors that promote poor safety practices in high-rise building construction and how the factors can be managed effectively in order to reduce the likelihood of accidents in high-rise building projects. Accordingly, an extensive review of literature has been consolidated with an expert-based survey in order to obtain the study data while the DEMATEL technique has been used to analyze the factors. The results indicate that “intensified work pressure due to fast approaching deadlines – B7”, “lack of safety education & expertise - BF9”, “different cultural backgrounds of workers -B3”, and “workers being under the cause of substances – B15” are critical in causing poor safety practices in the construction of high-rise buildings and have the highest degree of cause on other behavioural factors. The findings could provide industry practitioners and policy makers with a solid foundation on which building their knowledge of how to overcome the shortfalls of these behavioural factors to reduce accidents and promote best safety practices in high-rise building construction in Saudi Arabia.