Occupational health risks, safety essentials, and safety beliefs among construction workers in Bangladesh

Construction workers in Bangladesh experience disproportionate occupational health risks due to the lack of or inadequate safety measures. This study explores the on-site occupational health risks, the essential safety measures, and workers' safety beliefs in Bangladesh's construction industry. Following purposive sampling method, data were collected through forty in-depth interviews (IDIs) with workers and ten key informant interviews (KIIs) with contractors and building owners across nine construction sites, using a checklist and interview guidelines. The findings reveal that health risks vary by age and work experience, while formal safety training is virtually non-existent. Contractors typically provide substandard or insufficient personal protective equipment, and managerial oversight is limited due to weak supervision, disorganized worksites, and poor communication. Workers' unsafe behaviors are primarily driven by low safety awareness, minimal education, and economic necessity. Safety beliefs, shaped by local work culture, peer influence, and individual confidence, contribute to risky behaviors and heightened health hazards. The findings align with Reason's Accident Causation Theory and suggest an extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior to better capture localized safety perceptions. A context-specific framework is proposed to enhance occupational health and safety practices in Bangladesh's construction industry.