Development and Evaluation of an Investigator Bias Mitigation Tool for Construction Industry Incident Evaluations

Learning from incidents is central to construction occupational safety management, yet information collected during incident investigation interviews may be influenced by cognitive bias. This study introduces Check Yourself, a web-based reflective tool designed to support construction incident investigators in recognizing and managing cognitive biases during interviews. The tool was developed with industry input and evaluated through an exploratory within-subjects simulated role-play experiment involving 20 construction safety professionals with an average experience of approximately 12 years conducting or participating in incident investigations. Participants completed two rounds of incident investigation interviews, with the Check Yourself tool introduced between rounds. Changes in observable bias indicators were assessed through transcript-based analysis, supported by participant reflections and post-study feedback. The results showed that 70% of participants exhibited fewer observable bias indicators during post-intervention interviews, according to the study’s coding framework. Participants also reported that the tool supported greater awareness of bias, encouraged more structured questioning, and was relevant to real-world investigation practice. Although participant responses varied, findings suggest that Check Yourself may provide a practical reflective resource for improving interview quality and supporting more balanced incident investigations in construction. Findings from this study should be interpreted cautiously given the exploratory within-subjects design and the absence of a control group.