The aims of this paper were to systematically review the evidence for the effectiveness of active behaviour
change safety interventions in the construction industry; and to determine the intervention characteristics
most commonly associated with effectiveness in reducing injury rates and improving safety
behaviour – intensity/frequency/duration, behaviour change techniques (BCTs) and theory-base. An electronic
literature search (June 2014) was conducted to identify eligible interventions: those involving
active involvement from workers/management in the construction industry; targeted one/both of the primary
outcomes. All intervention designs involving construction workers aged >18 years, published in
English and in a peer-reviewed journal were included. Fifteen studies were included, half of which successfully
improved injury rates. Longer interventions and those that included active/volitional BCTs
(feedback/monitoring rather than instruction/information) were more effective. The methodological
quality of the interventions was poor and use of theory was inconsistent and infrequent. Despite some
positive results, very few interventions achieved all their aims. More rigorous, theory-driven research
is needed to structure intervention efforts and determine the mechanism of action of effective
interventions.