Abstract: For the sake of improving the accident learning efficiency, a model was built for impact of individual death on construction safety accident learning, after considering the individual death as the inherent characteristics of safety accidents, the information the survivors and the survey group have, and taking the accident characteristics and other sources of information as regulation variables. On the basis of the data collected from 78 investigation reports on construction accidents, the model was verified by using path analysis. The results show that the information from the survivors is helpful in understanding accident and identifying the direct cause, but the "death paradox" exists; the overall impact of the survey group is not significant; the data from other sources as well as the short duration and the open space of the accident have a regulating effect on the relationship above; the witness interview manual should be refined; use of monitoring equipment in the closed spaces should be promoted; all the accident data should be made public; and a adjustment mechanism of the investigation unit should be established.

Key words: individual death, construction safety, accident learning, path analysis, death paradox