Development and Validation of a Safety Attitude Scale for Construction Workers

Unsafe behavior is a primary cause of construction accidents, with safety attitude being a crucial psychological predictor. While numerous safety attitude and climate instruments exist, many originate from other industries or lack rigorous psychometric validation and contextual adaptation for construction, especially when used to assess construction workers’ safety attitudes. This study developed and validated a multidimensional safety attitude scale (CWSAS) for Chinese construction workers using a three-stage mixed-methods design. Initially, grounded theory interviews with 15 workers and literature analysis generated the item pool. Subsequently, two rounds of Delphi consultation with seven experts refined the scale. Finally, item analysis and exploratory factor analysis were performed on Sample 1 (n = 306), followed by confirmatory factor analysis on an independent Sample 2 (n = 260). The CWSAS comprises 26 items across four dimensions: Safety Cognition, Safety Behavioral Tendency, Safety Emotion, and Organization and Management. This four-factor model, grounded in tripartite attitude theory and reflecting China’s unique safety governance, demonstrated excellent fit, high reliability, and acceptable convergent and discriminant validity. The CWSAS offers a robust tool for assessing and improving construction safety.