Hazard awareness of construction site dumper drivers

In UK’s construction industry, site dumpers cause more serious accidents than in any other type of construction plant. Previous research has indicated that driver behaviour plays a pivotal role in the vast majority of these accidents. Using a mental models-based approach, 20 dumper drivers were interviewed with regard to the process by which several typical types of accident occurred. It was found that drivers were generally well-informed about the hazards of driving dumpers on a construction site. However, the findings also exposed some critical knowledge gaps, which could increase a driver’s chances of an accident. Educational material relating to these knowledge deficiencies could easily be prepared and incorporated into revised construction information leaflets or driver training courses.