Particulate matter (PM) exposure is an important source of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and it is highly prevalent in dense traffic, farming and transshipment areas. Blue-collar workers in roadwork companies tend to be at risk and may not be well-protected. This qualitative study investigated perceptions of risk and mitigation of employees in roadwork (construction and maintenance) companies concerning PM, as well as their views on methods to empower safety behavior at work. We held semi-structured interviews with twenty-two employees (three safety experts, seven site managers and twelve blue-collar workers) in three different roadwork companies. We found that most workers are aware of the existence of PM and the most important exposure prevention methods, but that their knowledge about PM seems to be fragmented and incomplete. Moreover, they do not always protect themselves against PM. We found multiple factors that influence the ability or willingness of employees to work safely, such as communication within the company hierarchy, work experience, and strictness of rules. Roadwork companies carry out ‘toolbox meetings’, periodical meetings related to work safety; they are mandatory and potentially very useful information sharing tools. We recommend using these toolbox meetings as a means of risk communication regarding PM, focusing on health effects, prevention methods and the rationale behind them. We also recommend a healthy dialogue about work-related risk within the company hierarchy, as employees tend to have an urgent need to be heard, and mutual communication helps to alleviate both information-related and motivation-related safety issues.