Moderating effects of individual learning ability and resilient safety culture on the relationship between the educational level and safety performance of construction workers

Abstract

Having a higher educational level has been proposed to reduce workers’ unsafe behavior. It remains unclear whether the improvement in safety performance can be enhanced by workers with higher education levels, an individual’s learning ability, and a resilient safety culture. This study aims to examine the moderating effects of individual learning ability and resilient safety culture on the relationship between workers’ educational level and safety performance. A questionnaire survey was conducted to assess the education level, resilience safety culture, safety learning ability, and safety performance of workers. The results indicated that the educational level of construction workers has a significant positive impact on safety performance. They confirmed that an individual’s learning ability and a resilient safety culture have a positive moderating effect. This study supports the crucial relationship between worker education levels and safety performance. Thus, organizations and government entities can leverage this understanding to promote worker engagement in training programs and extend educational support. The study underscores the pivotal role of a resilient safety culture in bolstering the impact of worker educational level on safety performance. Finally, the study acknowledges the influence of an individual’s learning ability on safety performance. Integrating educational levels with individual learning abilities can facilitate the development of targeted strategies to improve safety performance.