Influence of fatigue on risk-taking behavior in Chinese construction workers: Moderation by multilevel factors

Background Fatigue significantly contributes to construction accidents, exacerbated by intense work and complex environments. Objective This study explores how physical and psychological fatigue influence risk-taking among Chinese construction workers, examining moderating effects of work environment, management commitment, and individual resilience. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1026 frontline construction workers from 53 sites. Validated self-report scales assessed fatigue, risk-taking behavior, and multilevel moderators during rest periods. Hierarchical regression and moderation analyses, controlling for gender, age, working hours, and experience, were performed using SPSS 27 and the PROCESS v4.2 macro to examine the direct effects of fatigue on risk-taking behavior, as well as the moderating effects of physical work environment perception, management safety commitment, and individual resilience on the relationship between fatigue and risk-taking behavior. Results Both physical and psychological fatigue were significantly associated with increased risk-taking behavior, with adverse physical work environment perceptions amplifying these relationships. Management safety commitment mitigated the association between physical fatigue and risk-taking but showed no significant moderating effect on psychological fatigue. Unexpectedly, higher individual resilience intensified the association between physical fatigue and risk-taking, revealing a “resilience paradox,” while its moderation of psychological fatigue was non-significant. These findings highlight the complex interplay of environmental, organizational, and individual factors with fatigue in driving risk-taking behavior, challenging the notion of resilience as universally protective. Conclusions The study offers a robust theoretical framework for understanding fatigue-related safety risks and provides practical guidance for implementing fatigue management programs and tailored resilience training to enhance safety in high-risk construction environments.