Prospective Workers’ Perceptions of Crane Operation Risks: Using a Pairwise Comparison

Crane operations are common in the construction industry when handling bulky and heavy materials. This study investigated the risk perception of prospective workers on typical risk scenarios regarding crane operations to identify their degree and cognitive dimensions of risk perception and knowledge of the respective situations. The risk perception of 189 university students of engineering-related program majors was evaluated using an online survey featuring 10 crane operation risk scenarios presented via animation videos and a pairwise comparison approach. The results revealed a commendable ability among prospective workers to assess the crane operation risk scenarios. They notably identified unsafe loading and improper rigging as the scenarios posing the highest risks. Furthermore, the analysis uncovered two fundamental dimensions shaping their risk perception: subjective misoperation and hazard nature. These insights are invaluable for designing training programs to minimize crane-related accidents among novice workers. The primary contributions of this study are to provide empirical evidence about prospective workers’ degree and cognitive dimensions of risk perception and knowledge of the crane operation risk scenarios. The findings reveal large gaps in the safety education and training provided to engineering management professionals. The large gaps underscore the urgent need to enhance educational programs and training initiatives to equip future construction managers with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective risk assessment and mitigation. By addressing these gaps, construction accidents can be reduced, and a safe working environment can be promoted within the construction industry.