The study examines the organisational, psychological, and environmental factors that affect construction workers' attitudes towards safety in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province of South Africa. The study employed a systematic literature review approach using PRISMA methodology to select 83 publications sourced from Google Scholar, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Scopus databases published between 2019 and 2025 for review. Findings indicated that negative worker attitudes toward safety constitute a complex impediment to effective occupational health and safety performance, rooted in a range of psychological, organisational, cultural, and socio-economic features. Further results implied a critical cluster of causes relates to human factors and external constraints: socio-economic factors affecting compliance, such as low income and job insecurity, often compel workers to prioritise economic necessity over safety adherence. More findings indicated the impact of non-adherence to safety practice to include increased rates of accidents, injuries, and fatalities; reduced adherence to formal safety systems; short-term productivity gains that ultimately result in delays and rework; and resistance to adopting new safety technologies. The findings provide information for stakeholders to improve construction safety in KZN province of South Africa. Emphasis should be placed on strengthening leadership commitment, consistent enforcement of safety regulations, improved worker training, timely provision of personal protective equipment, and inclusive safety communication.

Keywords

Construction safety, worker attitudes, occupational health, safety compliance, KwaZulu-Natal