Formulating a learner model for evaluating construction workers’ learning ability during safety training

•The construction workers’ learner model was built incorporating five factors.•170 construction workers taking surveys were divided into four categories.•Organisational and environmental factors had greater influence than personal ones.•Potential strategies to introduce PST and improve safety outcomes were discussed. The improvement of safety performance of construction workers heavily lies in safety training, and training technologies, materials and organisations. However, the traditional one-size-fit-all safety training does not cater for the needs of heterogeneous workers. Personalised training may proffer a better solution for heterogeneous workers in the construction sector. To understand the rationale of personalised training, this study formulated a learner model that can capture and evaluate the learning abilities of individual workers. Methodically, a survey on 170 construction workers was conducted, and evidenced that they were heterogeneous in safety training motivation, established knowledge, and emotions during the knowledge acquisition process; and were vulnerable to the model effect and convenience effect during the knowledge application process. The results also showed that workers generally perceived safety training as a mandatory requirement, rather than inherently motivated; emotional changes was the most influencing factor in the knowledge acquisition process; about 40% of the workers were strongly vulnerable to the model effect and convenience effect; and 18% of the workers needed to improve their ability of knowledge acquisition and knowledge application. The correlation analysis and t-test indicated that age, year of experience, trade, project type, organisation type and site environment influenced workers’ learning characteristics and abilities; which lead to the varied levels of safety understanding, awareness and performance. It was also concluded that the construction workers had unique characteristics in their safety learning process and the concept of adapted safety learning could potentially improve the efficiency of safety training.