Introducing site sense: comparing situated knowledge in construction to coalmining

Abstract

The acknowledgment of the use of tacit knowledge as a safety praxis in the mining industry has been in existence for over half a century. This is referred to as pit sense. On the contrary, the use of tacit knowledge for site safety is only gathering steam in the construction industry. Research on common sense in construction suggests that the conflicts with official practices and policies, and resistance from individuals in managerial roles, hold back advancements in employing tacit knowledge. Common sense in construction and pit sense in coalmining substantial similarities including their heavy dependence on self-preservation and the use of a bottom-up approach i.e. both focusing on the discretion of the workers. We introduce the concept of 'site sense' as an approach to site safety which is based on tacit knowledge and reflects situatedness of knowledge. Non-participant observations and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data on the practices of workers of micro construction firms in relation to site safety. The research findings indicate that unlike site sense, pit sense has evolved from first being regarded as a mere informal practice to then being acknowledged by managers as a way of workers taking responsibility and accountability for their own safety. Site sense and pit sense are both recognised as safety practices that are not formally taught but acquired through continuous practice. They are both situational knowledge gained through informal techniques and close interactions among team members. In both schools of thought, it is widely known that experienced workers are proud to possess and demonstrate pit sense and site sense respectively whereas newcomers do not yet possess this tacit and situated knowledge