The construction industry in South Africa and worldwide generates a disproportionate number of fatalities, injuries and is associated with disease, the direct and indirect cost of which contributes to the cumulative cost of construction. Many injuries are musculoskeletal related in the form of sprains and strains arising from the handling of materials, which process is managed by, inter alia, civil engineers. Furthermore, civil engineers as designers influence construction ergonomics through the specification of materials and the related methods. The purpose of the paper is to present the results of a study conducted among civil engineering students in a South African university, the objectives being to determine their knowledge and perceptions relative to the mass and density of materials and construction ergonomics. The following constitute the salient results: knowledge relative to the mass and density of materials is limited; students appreciate that the mass and density of materials impacts on construction ergonomics; students rate their knowledge of the mass and density of materials as limited as opposed to extensive, and students appreciate the potential of the consideration of the mass and density of materials to contribute to an improvement in construction ergonomics. Conclusions include that: students lack knowledge and awareness relative to the mass and density of materials; students are precluded from conducting optimum design hazard identification and risk assessments, and Civil Engineering education must be reviewed in terms of addressing / referring to construction health and safety, and ergonomics in other subjects. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.