Abstract:
Purpose – The manufacturing industry is a well-known source of interventions adapted to solve problems
in the construction industry. The use of Training-Within-Industry (TWI) is one such intervention adopted in
the construction industry to solve the construction problem relating to occupational health and safety (OHS).
The objectives of TWI are to help the industry to transfer knowledge and skills from management to the
employees. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to investigate whether TWI can reduce OHS problems by
promoting “learning by doing” on construction sites.
Design/methodology/approach – A case-based-research method was used to investigate the reported
OHS problems in the construction industry in South Africa. The data were quantitative and qualitative in
nature; the questionnaire survey, semi-structured interview and focus group interview techniques were used
to collect data in the study.
Findings – The findings provide a better understanding of the human contributions influencing the
behaviour of people causing accidents on construction sites. The data show that construction project leaders
struggle to promote “learning by doing” because of inappropriate behaviour, lack of communication and
inadequate training provided to new workers on construction sites. Also, there is significant scope for TWI
deployment in construction because of the inability of supervisors or management to promote “learning by
doing” on construction sites.
Practical implications – Based on the research findings, it is discovered that OHS is a serious concern in
the construction industry. Therefore, the adoption of learning by doing on a construction site would help to
improve OHS outcome.
Originality/value – The study highlights the need to introduce TWI on construction sites to reduce
human failure causing accidents. TWI could lead to improving the knowledge- and skills-transfer
programmes for construction workers in favour of better safety performance.
