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BACKGROUND: Risk perception is an intuitive risk about hazards to which people are exposed daily and is related to several factors. In the construction context, there is a need to identify and understand how risk perception is related to these factors; construction companies can implement this information to develop measures for effective risk management. OBJECTIVE: This literature review aims to identify recommendations for future research about factors that may be related to risk perception in construction workers. METHODS: We used the SPIDER tool and searched available electronic databases for the most recent research articles published on risk perception in the construction area. RESULTS: We identified main recommendations for future research: Behavior, environment and working conditions, risk assessment methods, culture, individual and demographic factors, and knowledge. CONCLUSION: Safety behavior is the primary variable of concern in studies related to risk perception in the construction area. Therefore, further research is needed to identify the factors that intervene and impact risk perception to reduce accident rates among construction industry workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a study on sharing practices after incidents across organizations in the Norwegian construction industry as a means towards improvement of occupational safety. Interviews were performed with safety personnel from different actors, including clients, contractors and designers. The findings show that several arenas for sharing of safety-related information across actors exist; however, the sharing is limited, not structured, and occurs occasionally. Furthermore, the information is not widely shared across all actors in the industry for whom the information could be valuable, e.g., early phase actors. As a willingness to share and an excitement for new technology are present, the work goes on to propose how and where the industry can improve on information sharing after incidents to move towards inter-organizational learning. A roadmap for the Norwegian construction industry is suggested for collective information sharing with a focus on technological and digital solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The construction workers are performing manual tasks in harsh conditions. Various environmental risk factors could have significant influence on work fatigue. Methods: This review article discussed the environmental causal factors which involved in work fatigue development in the occupational health perspective, with the aim in enhancing the body of knowledge specifically in the construction industry so that mitigation measures and interventions can be formulated and implemented for fatigue prevention and productivity enhancement. Results: Data derived from a total of 11 relevant articles identified climatic heat, vibration and elevation change as the major risk factors that associated with work fatigue. The mechanism of the environmental factors' influences on muscle, mental and visual fatigue were understood, pointedly the underlying physiological alteration. Additionally, appropriate preventive measures in accordance to the OSHA guides including work-break cycles, work management, cool-down arrangements with drinking water were discussed. The limitation of existing OSH requirements on work limits at heat exposure was recognized, including the lack of consideration on personal characteristics therefore might inaccurately estimate the personal heat tolerance time. Conclusions: The proper understanding of the environmental stressors and its impact on workers production and safety performance may help construction organisations and regulatory body to develop strategies for workers protection and fatigue-related accidents prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vast majority of accidents in construction are generated by unsafe behaviors. Some researches also find that the behaviors could be influenced by the awareness and safety climate. The safety behavior and awareness belong to individual levels, while the safety climate belongs to the organization level. Previous studies mainly focus on the relationships between safety climate, safety awareness, and safety behavior without considering their different respective levels and the interaction between levels. This study establishes a hierarchical linear model (HLM) of safety climate, individual safety awareness, and safety behavior to examine the multilevel relationships between them. Data were collected using questionnaire from workers in different teams on the construction site in China. The results indicate that organizational safety climates affect individual safety behavior and safety awareness. In addition, there is a positive correlation between individual safety awareness and safety behavior, and the safety climates have a positive moderating effect on the relationship between them. The final conclusion offers a path for the current practice of safety management in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of building codes in protecting safety and health of residents in New York City. It refers to the regulation of construction operations which is crucial in densely populated areas. It notes that building codes aims to protect the safety and health of residents by regulating the finished building products.

The US construction industry annually experiences a relatively high rate of fatalities and injuries; therefore, improving safety practices should be considered a top priority for this industry. Modular/prefabricated building construction is a construction strategy that involves manufacturing of the whole building or some of its components off-site. This research focuses on the safety performance of the modular/prefabricated building construction sector during both manufacturing and on-site processes. This safety evaluation can serve as the starting point for improving the safety performance of this sector. Research was conducted based on Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated accidents. The study found 125 accidents related to modular/prefabricated building construction. The details of each accident were closely examined to identify the types of injury and underlying causes. Out of 125 accidents, there were 48 fatalities (38.4%), 63 hospitalized injuries (50.4%), and 14 non-hospitalized injuries (11.2%). It was found that, the most common type of injury in modular/prefabricated construction was ‘fracture’, and the most common cause of accidents was ‘fall’. The most frequent cause of cause (underlying and root cause) was ‘unstable structure’. In this research, the accidents were also examined in terms of corresponding location, occupation, equipment as well as activities during which the accidents occurred. For improving safety records of the modular/prefabricated construction sector, this study recommends that future research be conducted on stabilizing structures during their lifting, storing, and permanent installation, securing fall protection systems during on-site assembly of components while working from heights, and developing training programmes and standards focused on modular/prefabricated construction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this article, we advance the question of how creativity is emerging in new virtual work configurations. We take two steps: first we draw on theoretical perspectives from phenomenological anthropology to engage an understanding of creativity as emerging through a relationship between the processual concepts of improvisation and knowing; second, we develop a focus on the digital materiality of virtual labour. To examine and draw together these themes we focus on a novel example of the use of digital technologies for improving worker safety and health in the construction industry by recognising how safety is constituted through worker creativity. We argue, on the basis of this, for a view of creativity as constituted through improvisation and knowing, and that invokes the possibility of thinking about virtual elements of work as part of the ongoing processes of work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Unsafe behavior increases the risk of accident at workplaces and needs to be managed properly. The aim of the present study was to provide a model for managing and improving safety behavior of employees using the Bayesian networks approach.Methods: The study was conducted in several power plant construction projects in Iran. The data were collected using a questionnaire composed of nine factors, including management commitment, supporting environment, safety management system, employees' participation, safety knowledge, safety attitude, motivation, resource allocation, and work pressure. In order for measuring the score of each factor assigned by a responder, a measurement model was constructed for each of them. The Bayesian network was constructed using experts' opinions and Dempster-Shafer theory. Using belief updating, the best intervention strategies for improving safety behavior also were selected.Results: The result of the present study demonstrated that the majority of employees do not tend to consider safety rules, regulation, procedures and norms in their behavior at the workplace. Safety attitude, safety knowledge, and supporting environment were the best predictor of safety behavior. Moreover, it was determined that instantaneous improvement of supporting environment and employee participation is the best strategy to reach a high proportion of safety behavior at the workplace.Conclusion: The lack of a comprehensive model that can be used for explaining safety behavior was one of the most problematic issues of the study. Furthermore, it can be concluded that belief updating is a unique feature of Bayesian networks that is very useful in comparing various intervention strategies and selecting the best one form them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how three types of institutional pressure (i.e., coercive, mimetic and normative pressures) systematically impact on the safety climate of construction projects. These impacts are empirically tested by survey data collected from 186 questionnaires of construction companies operating in Shanghai, China. The results, obtained by partial least squares analysis, show that organizational management commitment to safety and employee involvement is positively related to all three institutional pressures, while the perception of responsibility for safety and health is significantly influenced by coercive and mimetic pressure. However, coercive and normative pressures have no significant effect on the applicability of safety rules and work practices, revealing the importance of external organizational pressures in improving project safety climate from a systematic view. The findings also provide insights into the use of institutional forces to facilitate the improvement of safety climate in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decisions made prior to construction impact the safety of construction workers. Past research has shown that there is a link between design decisions and fatalities. Prevention through Design (PtD) is a concept that attempts to identify and mitigate hazards early in the design process with the goal of eliminating the risks of injury to workers and/or damage to facilities during construction. PtD is a required practice in some countries, primarily because of legislation. In the United States, however, PtD is not well known by design professionals and there is opposition to its practice. The objective of this paper is to present the results of a Delphi study, in which the Delphi panel was tasked to identify: (1) the construction industry group with the most influence to generate interest in PtD in the United States, (2) the method with which that interest can be achieved, and (3) the industry group that should be targeted with that method. The Delphi panel came to a consensus that owners have the greatest influence to generate interest, and they should be the group to be targeted using the business case method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction employs 7.3% of the total labor force but suffers from a higher injury rate (16.3% of total labor force) in Pakistan. Despite being the 2nd most injury prone industry, not much attention has been paid to safety implementation. Stakeholders generally emphasize on productivity even at the cost of safety. The academics are endeavoring to highlight the importance of safety; however, their efforts could not develop a synergy with the industry practitioners. This study attempts to analytically review/summarize the construction safety research in Pakistan with the aim to guide future research. It has been opined that injuries are mostly caused by fall from height, followed by electrocution and caught in between the objects and machinery. The underlying causes for safety non-compliance are highlighted as the existence of a weak regulatory authority, no contractual obligations for safety compliance, ignorance to basic human rights, and the misconception that safety investment escalates the project cost. The study recommends major strategies for improving construction safety, such as: reinforcing the safety regulatory authority; incorporating safety in contractor's licensing, renewal and bidding processes; establishing an effective mechanism for safety training and accident reporting; and ensuring an enhanced client's commitment to safety by introducing safety incentive schemes. In addition, it is suggested to update and enforce the safety laws, and launch safety awareness media campaigns at the national level. Safety courses/modules are also recommended to enhance the competencies of construction management students and young professionals in the industry. The study sets the foundation for future research in investigating the underpinning causes of accidents, barriers in the safety implementation and identifying the most influential health and safety factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a safety communication and recognition program (B-SAFE), designed to encourage improvement of physical working conditions and hazard reduction in construction. Methods A matched pair cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted on eight worksites (four received the B-SAFE intervention, four served as control sites) for approximately five months per site. Pre- and post-exposure worker surveys were collected at all sites (N=615, pre-exposure response rate of 74%, post-exposure response rate of 88%). Multi-level mixed-effect regression models evaluated the effect of B-SAFE on safety climate as assessed from surveys. Focus groups (N=6-8 workers/site) were conducted following data collection. Transcripts were coded and analyzed for thematic content using Atlas.ti (version 6). Results The mean safety climate score at intervention sites, as measured on a 0-50 point scale, increased 0.5 points (1%) between pre- and post-B-SAFE exposure, compared to control sites that decreased 0.8 points (1.6%). The intervention effect size was 1.64 (3.28%) (P-value=0.01) when adjusted for month the worker started on-site, total length of time on-site, as well as individual characteristics (trade, title, age, and race/ethnicity). At intervention sites, workers noted increased levels of safety awareness, communication, and teamwork compared to control sites. Conclusions B-SAFE led to many positive changes, including an improvement in safety climate, awareness, teambuilding, and communication. B-SAFE was a simple intervention that engaged workers through effective communication infrastructures and had a significant, positive effect on worksite safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legislation requires employers to provide health and safety (H&S) training to workers and communicate safety rules, policies and procedures to them in a way they understand. As the construction industry has an increasingly multicultural and multilingual workforce, conventional written and verbal safety communication is of limited effectiveness. CodeSafe Solutions, has developed an innovative method of communicating H&S information to field-based workers using digital media. The potential of the system was explored and two organizations in the Australian construction industry were used. Qualitative data from in-depth interviews of safety managers and workers involved in system implementation and quantitative data such as incident reports and video usage were analysed. Managers perceived the CodeSafe system to be beneficial and well received by workers. In one organization, the introduction of the CodeSafe system coincided with a reduction in injury rates. However, causal inferences about the impact of the system cannot be made. Workers involved in making the films believed films would be an effective communication tool. However, barriers to implementation of the technology include workers’ reluctance to use personal smart phones, limited internet connectivity, and organizational and national regulations on mobile phone use on construction sites. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Decisions made before construction can affect safety on the construction site, either positively or negatively. This was observed from past research that identified the link between design decisions and fatalities. The concept of implementing design decisions that positively affect safety falls under the general concept of prevention through design (PtD), which attempts to identify and mitigate hazards early in the design process to eliminate the risks of injury or damage during construction. Prevention through design is practiced in other countries, primarily through legislation. The objective of this paper is to present the results of a survey that was conducted to identify construction industry stakeholders' views on the concept of PtD and gauge the possibility for implementing PtD in the U.S. construction industry through either legislation or other means. Four distinct groups were surveyed: engineers, architects, contractors, and owners. Within this study, PtD was described and introduced to survey participants as design for construction worker safety (DCWS) to differentiate PtD efforts in construction from efforts in other industries. The survey consisted of questions that asked about the industry's knowledge of PtD and the extent of PtD practice in the United States, participants' opinions on designer and owner safety knowledge and perceptions, and obstacles and enablers for designer participation in construction safety. The responses from the various groups were compared to identify the groups that are more receptive to the idea of designer participation in construction worker safety. The results showed that architects were the least receptive to the idea, whereas the other groups were more likely to be supportive, with some hesitations. Architects and engineers identified the existence of economic, legal, and contractual obstacles for designers to practice DCWS, whereas contractors only identified economic obstacles. No enablers were identified by any group. The research contributes additional information that can be used by construction industry practitioners and organizations desiring to expand and optimize PtD implementation in the United States. The research results can be used by project teams to plan for PtD education and training efforts on projects and by construction industry organizations to develop PtD diffusion strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The construction industry is one of the sectors with the highest accident rates and the most serious accidents. A multi-agent safety response approach allows a useful diagnostic tool in order to understand factors affecting risk and accidents. The special features of the construction sector can influence the relationships among safety responses along the model of safety influences. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to test a model explaining risk and work-related accidents in the construction industry as a result of the safety responses of the organization, the supervisors, the co-workers and the worker. METHODS: Sample: 374 construction employees belonging to 64 small Spanish construction companies working for two main companies participated in the study. Instruments: Safety responses were measured using a 45-item Likert-type questionnaire. Methodology: The structure of the measure was analyzed using factor analysis and the model of effects was tested using a structural equation model. RESULTS: Factor analysis clearly identifies the multi-agent safety dimensions hypothesized. The proposed safety response model of work-related accidents, involving construction specific results, showed a good fit. CONCLUSIONS: The multi-agent safety response approach to safety climate is a useful framework for the assessment of organizational and behavioral risks in construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

the aim of this paper is to study the connection between occupational health and safety (OHS) and increasing employee productivity in construction industry from the point view of contractors in Gaza strip. This has been done by identifying strategies that effectively promote both safety and productivity during a construction task. In this study, a quantitative research was adopted as the main statistical component. The survey approach (descriptive and analytical survey) has been chosen and has been conducted through some faceto- face interviews and a written closed and semi closed questionnaire for a chosen sample with a size of forty three people from the construction population. After making validity test, relia-bility test, and descriptive analysis, the test of the relative importance index (RII) has been conducted to determine the relative importance of various factors. Strategies that can be followed to effectively affect safety and productivity were resulted from the survey feedback. These strategies fall under five major groups; planning, training, monitoring, communication skills, and inspection. Results indicated that "Training workers to carry out works properly, especially in the new types of work" factor has been ranked in the 1st position with regard to its importance in sustaining safety and productivity of project. This factor belongs to the "training group". The research is only confined to the safety and productivity relationship in the public construction environment in Gaza strip, but not the west bank. The small sample size of the survey would probably not be indicative of the general population of contactors in Gaza strip, although the most of the results were reasonably accepted and were related to the literature review. More research is needed to understand the topic since literature on safety and productivity in Palestine and surrounding region is very limited. Construction companies need to substantially improve OHS as well as improving construction productivity and reducing costs. Contractors need to plan for a strategy to achieve that, and need to move from strategies to implementation. In other words, contractors are recommended to act strategically to protect workers by continuously identifying hazardous conditions and by training and monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry is characterized by a high level of hazards to the life and health of employees and by a high accident rate. Knowledge relating to the course of the accident process plays a major role in work safety assessment and in accident prevention. On the basis of the EUROSTAT accident model a comprehensive general model of the development of an accident situation has been developed. The model enables the different possible configurations of the events occurring in accident processes in the construction industry to be traced and the most probable scenario of the events to be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry is responsible for one of the highest incidences of work-related accidents in Brazil, as well as in various other countries. In spite of the dissemination of prevention programs and the proposals for developing safety design for the construction industry, construction sites remain dangerous and unhealthy places. Recently, safety has been proposed to be considered from the development phase of the design (Construction Hazards Prevention through Design), but with little effectiveness in practice. In addition to these more recent proposals, we will demonstrate that the integration between safety and production can proceed through anticipations occurring at several levels of the construction phase, not only in the design phase. Through narratives emerged through techniques of activity analysis at the construction site, it was possible to highlight and categorize 25 cases with implications for the production process development. The results show that this integration between production and safety is possible through anticipations occurring at several levels of the construction phase, from the design analysis conducted by the construction engineer to the implementation. This will allow the development of design situations for implementing safe work situations. The contribution and originality of this paper are based upon the presentation of a model in three levels of anticipation of problems during the construction phase and its effects on improving production and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Different types of safety investments have different effects on accident prevention. [•] The effect of safety investments depends on the safety culture and project hazard level. [•] The improvement of safety performance relies on the synergies of physical input and cultural input. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Construction safety performance of the three regions in China was evaluated by DEA. • The regions did not maintain fully BCC-efficient after achieving the optimal ratio. • The construction industry performed better in avoiding fatalities than accidents. • Distinct patterns of indicators in DEA urge to pool experience for cross reference. • Other regions/countries can refer to their experience for balanced development. Rapid expansion of urbanization in developing countries such as China brings explosive growth of the construction industry. It is necessary to evaluate construction performance in terms of safety, in order for sustainable development maintaining the speed of construction production without compromising safety performance. This study presents a quantitative analysis of construction safety performance in three regions of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, which were selected for reforming and developing modern construction industry in China. The nonparametric method of data envelopment analysis (DEA) was employed for evaluating construction safety performance in these regions from 2003 to 2019, and construction safety performance of each year in each region was deemed a decision-making unit (DMU). It is found that these regions do not maintain the state of fully BCC-efficient after achieving the optimal ratio between inputs and outputs in construction safety management. In consideration of the severity of undesirable outcomes, the construction industry performs better in the avoidance of workplace fatalities than in the prevention of non-fatal accidents. Distinct patterns of input indicators (e.g. I 1 and I 2) and output indicators (e.g. O 1 , O 2 and O 3) during the period can give impetus to pooling their experience for cross reference among Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai. Additionally practical experience of these regions can be referred to by other developing countries, in order for the balance between construction safety performance and industrial development in the aspects of added-value of the construction industry, completed-area of building construction, and total number of employees in construction companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction safety culture is becoming a typical proactive safety performance measurement and strategy for safety improvement. However, there is no accepted industry wide definition for safety culture. There is also no clear distinction between safety culture and safety climate. So far, little research has investigated how safety programs can be developed to improve safety culture and climate, which in turn can be used to assess the effectiveness of these programs. This paper presents a study that examined the multilevel safety culture and climate to assess a newly launched safety program. Specifically, three different questionnaires were used to survey 71 top executives, 229 site management personnel, and 350 field workers, respectively. This study found wide acceptance of the program across all three groups, strong management accountability in enforcing safety, and a positive general safety climate among workers. The results demonstrated the program's overall effectiveness in building positive safety culture and climate despite a few identified weaknesses. Based on these findings and insightful employee feedback, this paper offers generalized recommendations to help industry practitioners develop high-quality safety programs. The presented survey instruments and analysis methods can also be used to holistically assess safety programs and related safety culture and climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Since 1996, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has introduced the Pay for Safety Scheme (PFSS) to the public works construction contracts to uplift their safety performance. However, the adoption of PFSS has also encountered some difficulties that merit considerable attention. This paper purports to provide a concise review of the prevailing application of PFSS in Hong Kong in general, and to explore the potential difficulties associated with PFSS in particular. By means of an empirical questionnaire survey geared towards industrial practitioners with extensive direct hands-on PFSS experience, their opinions were solicited, analyzed and compared between the client group and contractor group of respondents. The three most significant difficulties in implementing PFSS were found to be: (1) “Plenty of paperwork required for certifying payment to contractor”; (2) “Complicated contract documents and lengthy assessment process”; and (3) “Over-tight project schedule requiring rush jobs”. The output of this research study is particularly essential in assisting the contracting parties to mitigate the avoidable hindrances when embarking on PFSS. It has also generated valuable insights into developing effective recommendations for alleviating the barriers to PFSS success for future construction projects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Preventing injuries to workers is essential to effective organizational management in the construction industry. It is generally accepted that achieving a high level of safety performance requires the implementation of an effective safety program. In an effort to provide guidance for the development of an effective safety program, previous studies have focused on identifying highly effective injury prevention strategies and quantifying their individual impacts on safety performance. Despite these advancements in knowledge, the synergistic interrelationships among highly effective injury prevention strategies remain unknown. The objective of this paper is to describe the results of a Delphi study that quantified the interrelationships (i.e., pairwise cross impacts) of highly effective and commonly implemented injury prevention strategies. Analysis of the data indicates that the site safety manager, worker participation and involvement, a site-specific safety plan, and upper management support and commitment are the most central elements in an effective program. It is expected that the results of this study can be used by practicing professionals when designing a new safety program, enhancing an existing program, or conducting economic analyses of safety-related investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article gives an overview of the statistics on accidents at work. The paper contains the methods for improvement of the occupational safety system and gives a description of the development and implementation of an integrated evaluation system model. Risk assessment is presented and specific measures for efficiency improvement of occupational safety at construction companies are introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite growing evidence supporting the positive impact of safety investment on safety performance, little is known about how safety investment impacts safety performance in construction sites. We still need to better understand the causal relationship between safety investment and safety performance. To address this need, this article examines the ways in which safety investment impacts the safety performance of building projects. This study was conducted by means of structured interviews with project managers or safety officers of building projects. The survey results show that both direct and indirect relationships are found between safety investment and safety performance. Part of the effects of safety investment on safety performance is mediated by safety culture. A graphic model is proposed to describe the causal relationship between safety investment, safety culture and safety performance. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the role of safety investment in determining the safety performance of building projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Workplace accidents still occur with distressing frequency, particularly in construction. Industrialized countries have become increasingly aware of this situation and have adopted policies to attempt to deal with this issue. Such policies have led to the development of new laws and regulations with a view to improving workplace conditions. This paper first analyzes policies regarding accident prevention in the European Union, as initially stipulated in the European Framework Directive 89/391/EEC, and more specifically in Directive 92/57/EEC, on the implementation of minimum safety and health requirements at temporary or mobile construction sites, concentrating on prevention through design. Whilst designers previously had some responsibilities for reducing risk under common law provisions in many countries, this directive was the first explicit legislation to enforce particular duties upon them. The adaptation of the provisions in this directive to the national legislation of EU member countries is also studied. The second section of the paper analyzes the incidence rate of workplace accidents in the construction sector in each country from the year when these regulations came into force until the present time. Based on the evolution of these accident rates, the paper postulates the extent to which European policies have contributed to accident prevention in construction. It is now more than a decade since this legislation has been in force which provides a suitable period for a reflective analysis on it is impact. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Safety climate can benefit contractors, specialty contractors, and owners of industries by providing them with the knowledge of attitudes and perceptions that can help to consistently achieve better safety performance. The objective of this research was to determine safety climate that would enhance safety culture and positively impact perceived safety performance on construction projects. A safety climate questionnaire survey was conducted on the construction sites of a leading construction company and its subcontractors in Hong Kong. Approximately, 1,500 hard copy questionnaires were distributed and the response rate was excellent, resulting in 1,120 valid questionnaires being collected from 22 construction projects. By means of factor analysis, two underlying safety climate factors were extracted, accounting for 43.9% of the total variance. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that these climate factors, “management commitment and employee involvement” and “inappropriate safety procedure and work practices” were significant predictors of workers’ perceptions of safety performance. The findings indicated that the relationship between perceived safety performance and “inappropriate safety procedure and work practices” was inversely correlated. The results suggest that safety climate can be used as an effective measure of assessing and improving site safety for projects under construction. The findings of this study and the methodology might be useful for research at other construction sites in other regions and countries. This work provides useful information for project managers and safety practitioners who desire to improve safety climate and safety performance on construction sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on how to improve employee safety. It implies the need of hiring conscientious employees who care about safety in order to increase employee involvement for safety. Meanwhile, effective training and development are also needed to cultivate and maintain desirable employee behaviors and attitudes. It suggests the need for organizations to find creative ways to increase employee involvement for safety by making wellness programs and mentoring between experienced and inexperienced employees.

The article focuses on the importance of preventing and reducing serious injuries and workplace fatalities. It is stated that safety, health and environmental (SH&E) professionals must adopt a new mindset that gives serious injury prevention a higher priority by addressing the phenomenon that seems to have developed in companies which report serious injuries and fatalities. Moreover, additional research and knowledge are also needed about causation and preventive measures so that safety professionals can give counsel on how these injuries and fatalities can be reduced.

Approaches to planning for health and safety in the UK construction industry have been criticised for being bureaucratic and irrelevant, especially if done by individuals in isolation. This paper reports on the findings of a research project, commissioned by the UK Health and Safety Executive, which investigated the integration of health and safety with construction project planning. A combination of group and individual interviews were undertaken, with qualitative methods of analysis, to develop integrated management tools for all members of the project team. Eight integrated tools were developed: a responsibility chart; an option evaluation chart; health and safety hazard workshops; safety information on drawings; red-amber-green lists; health and safety milestones on programmes; and a design change control process. These were found to aid project planning while simultaneously integrating health and safety issues. However, recommendations are given on how their application can be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety issues have gained vital importance throughout the construction industry. Many construction companies around the world are implementing safety, health, and environmental management systems to reduce injuries, eliminate illness, and to provide a safe work environment in their construction sites. This paper describes an exploratory study of site safety management in construction sites’ environments. It explains a successful, modern safety, health and environmental management system for a leading construction company based in Hong Kong. A typical site-specific safety plan was utilized to provide safety guidance throughout the construction project. A safety management survey was conducted to determine the status of safety in the construction sites. All employees of the company and its subcontractors participated in the survey from 20 construction projects. In total, 1,022 valid records were obtained from the construction sites. The analysis provided useful information on eight aspects of construction safety, including safety policy and standards, safety organization, safety training, inspecting hazardous conditions, personal protection program, plant and equipment, safety promotion, and management behavior. The findings of the survey provide practical knowledge to construction project managers and construction safety practitioners in order to make their sites safer. Insights and discussions are given in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The research objectives are to investigate current methods of fall protection, identify issues in their selection and use, and produce guidance on best practice for designers and constructors. Design/methodology/approach - A steering group with both health and safety and production experience directed a variety of data collection methods: interviews with industry specialists to assist in identifying the significant issues in fall protection and selecting fall protection systems; study of published research, legislation, codes of practice, and system technical data; focus groups to investigate both generic and system-specific issues; and visits to manufacturers, suppliers, contractors' offices and sites, to observe and discuss systems in development, planning, erection and operation. Findings - This paper deals with all the general issues in equipment selection: a hierarchy of selection; legislative guidance; interaction with the structure; impact on site operations; rescue of fallers; issues specific to maintenance and refurbishment; and costs arising from equipment selection. Originality/value - The paper provides a summary of the most important issues contained in the fall Health & Safety Executive report of the research, the only comprehensive source of such practical guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction professionals do not attribute to accident prevention the same importance as they do to the main (“value adding”) activities. As a result, not enough time and effort are invested in safety issues. Fall from heights (“fall”) is the main cause for fatalities and injuries in construction projects. The objective of the present research is to automate fall prevention procedures. An automated model that identifies the dangerous activities in the project’s schedule was developed. It also defines the areas in the building where these hazards appear, proposes protective activities (guardrails erection), and integrates them into the schedule. Additionally, it constantly compares the planned guardrails (location and time) and the ones actually used on site. The model provides textual and graphical reports and warns when guardrails are missing, are incomplete, or have been partially removed. The model was implemented, tested in an ongoing project, and presented to 14 experts who were asked to evaluate it. The experts’ main conclusions were (1) the model is accurate; (2) the model is a very useful managerial tool in that it identifies all fall hazards, including ones in less visible areas; (3) it enables early detection of fall hazards before and during construction, even during the design stage; and (4) the model is an important managerial, monitoring, and control tool keeping track of all fall hazards and protective measures, and warns when a safety problem occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes a model used by a university in the Midwest to develop a construction safety and health curriculum to meet regional demand for competent construction safety, health and environmental professionals (SH&E). The Construction Safety Emphasis and Graduate Certificate programs offered by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is designed to produce competent SH&E professionals who understand how to recognize, assess and control the hazards of construction sites. The university was able to rapidly create a construction safety program with minimal budget implications through the collaborative model.

This paper considers the issue of safety risks on construction sites. It introduces the concept of combined effect of different risk factors to the accident. For proper safety planning, safety managers need to be well aware of the direct causes of the accident as well as indirect factors that adversely effect on site safety. If it is observed that if a hazardous environment exists at the site, then either that hazardous environment must be eliminated or occupations and processes related to that hazard must be properly protected. One of the measures for evading such hazardous situations is to predict such situations and to reschedule the start time of high-risk situation so that risks are not concentrated during certain periods and at certain locations. In order to predict when and where the risk will reach its highest level, analysis should be performed based upon various information including statistical sources such as accident histories and this should be done in coordination with the activity scheduling. This paper analyzes the result of accident history and provides information about vulnerable situations. In addition, it presents a theory of safety planning method which estimates the risk distribution of a project and helps the safety manager to both estimate situations of concentrated risk and then to reschedule it when it is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is designed to obtain more scientific information about the residential roofing construction regarding the lack of applications of fall protection systems. Even though Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforces the use of some type of fall protection requirements, many residential roofing companies overlook these standards and rules. This study thus aims at systematically identifying the amount of lost productivity that occurs when workers use personal fall arrest systems (PFAS) for a roof-shingling task on the residential roof. Twelve male volunteers from the student population participated in this study. All who participated in this study had a proper training of a roof-shingling task. The simulated residential roofing task was performed at the slopes 18°, 26°, and 34° respectively. The results from this study showed that the slope had a significant effect (p < 0.001) on adjustment frequency and time of the personal fall arrest equipment. The amount of time and frequency of adjustment increased with an increase of slope. The subjects spent 6.8%, 9.1%, and 11.2% of their two-hour time blocks for adjusting the lanyards at 18°, 26°, 34° slopes respectively. The results of this study indicate that the large amount of time spent on unproductive activities while using a personal fall arrest system. In addition, this study shows that with an increase of slope comes an increase in the frequency of lanyard adjustments as well as the amount of time spent on these adjustments. More user-friendly fall protection systems might be able to save more lives while improving productivity in the roofing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract: Research and practice have demonstrated that decisions made upstream from the construction site can influence construction worker safety. The design for construction safety concept is defined as the consideration of construction site safety in the design of a project. Globally, the concept has gained momentum as an intervention to improve worker safety. However, in the US construction industry, numerous barriers exist that preclude this concept from becoming a standard practice. This research established a clear link between construction fatalities and the design for construction safety concept. Two-hundred and twenty-four fatality investigation reports were reviewed and a link to the design for construction safety concept was determined. The results show that 42% of fatalities reviewed were linked to the concept; the associated risk that contributed to the incident would have been reduced or eliminated had the design for construction safety concept been utilized. The specific characteristics of construction projects were evaluated and those which lend themselves to the greatest risk reduction within the scope of the concept were identified. The US construction industry should implement the concept of designing for construction safety as a standard practice to reduce overall project risks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Designing for construction safety entails consideration of the safety of construction workers in the design of a project. Research studies have identified the design aspect of projects as being a significant contributing factor to construction site accidents. Designing to eliminate or avoid hazards prior to exposure on the jobsite is also listed as the top priority in the hierarchy of controls common to the safety and health professions. Widespread implementation of the concept in the United States by engineering and architecture firms, however, is lacking due to perceived industry and project barriers. Given its absence from standard design practice, a question arises as to the viability of designing for safety as an intervention in the construction industry. This paper presents a pilot study that was conducted to investigate the practice of addressing construction worker safety when designing a project and to determine the feasibility and practicality of such an intervention. Through interviews of architects and engineers, the study found that a large percentage of design professionals are interested and willing to implement the concept in practice. Among the perceived impacts of implementation, project cost and schedule were mentioned most often along with limitations being placed on design creativity. The results of the pilot study indicate that designing for safety is a viable intervention in construction. The factors that impact the consideration of safety in the design of a project do not entirely prohibit its implementation or make its implementation extremely impractical and therefore not feasible. Additionally, the outcomes of implementation provide sufficient motivation to implement the concept in practice. The paper describes the key changes needed for implementation of the concept in practice which include: a change in designer mindset toward safety; establishment of a motivational force to promote designing for safety; increase designer knowledge of the concept; incorporate construction safety knowledge in the design phase; utilize designers knowledgeable about design-for-safety modifications; make design for safety tools and guidelines available for use and reference; and mitigate designer liability exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents guidelines for designing program for worker safety on construction sites. A holistic approach of designing for the entire life cycle of a building is recommended, including the construction process. Effectively addressing construction safety issues means the designer must consciously assess the implications of each construction phase on safety as the facility is being built. In addition, it is suggested to conduct a thorough risk assessment of each design component.

The current approach to safety focuses on prescribing and enforcing “defenses;” that is, physical and procedural barriers that reduce the workers’ exposure to hazards. Under this perspective, accidents occur because the prescribed defenses are violated due to lack of safety knowledge and/or commitment. This perspective has a limited view of accident causality, as it ignores the work system factors and their interactions that generate the hazardous situations and shape the work behaviors. Understanding and addressing these causal factors that lead to accidents is necessary to develop effective accident prevention strategies. This paper presents a new accident causation model of the factors affecting the likelihood of accidents during a construction activity. The model takes a systems view of accidents—it focuses on how the characteristics of the production system generate hazardous situations and shape the work behaviors, and analyzes the conditions that trigger the release of the hazards. The model is based on descriptive rather than prescriptive models of work behaviors—it takes into account the actual production behaviors, as opposed to the normative behaviors and procedures that workers “should” follow. The model identifies the critical role of task unpredictability in generating unexpected hazardous situations, and acknowledges the inevitability of exposures and errors. The model identifies the need for two accident prevention strategies: (1) reliable production planning to reduce task unpredictability, and (2) error management to increase the workers’ ability to avoid, trap, and mitigate errors. The new causation model contributes to safety research by increasing understanding of the production system factors that affect the frequency of accident. The practical benefit of the model is that it provides practitioners with strategies to reduce the likelihood of accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The layout of a construction site plays a major role in the safety and productivity of operations, particularly when site space is restricted. As construction evolves, however, the site layout may need to be dynamically reorganized at various schedule intervals to accommodate operational needs. As opposed to considering only productivity issues during site planning, this paper presents a layout planning approach that considers both safety and productivity. First, safety issues on construction sites are discussed and the factors that contribute to unsafe sites are outlined. A procedure for optimum layout of temporary facilities is then developed in integration with a scheduling tool. Four aspects are considered during site-layout planning: (1) defining the safety-related temporary facilities needed on construction sites; (2) defining proper safety zones around the construction space; (3) considering safety in determining the optimum placement of temporary facilities on the site; and (4) utilizing parts of the constructed space as temporary facilities to relieve congestion on restricted sites. A case study is presented on a prototype system to demonstrate the benefits of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order for the construction industry to improve its poor safety performance it needs to learn from its mistakes and put the lessons learned to good use. This need calls for effective feedback mechanisms that can transmit information derived from incident investigation to be utilized in safety planning. The feedback should be at two levels; first, feedback to the Safety Management System that had failed, and second, feedback to the safety planning of future projects. The first level of feedback can be achieved by basing the investigation on an incident investigation model that explicitly identifies system failure. The second level of feedback can be achieved if both incident investigation and safety planning share the same incident causation model, such that the information from each process can be retrieved and utilized in the other process smoothly. One prerequisite to fulfill the two levels of feedback is the development of an incident causation model. In this paper, the modified loss causation model (MLCM), which is able to meet the above-mentioned purposes, will be presented. The MLCM is developed based on an extensive literature review and application on 140 actual accident cases obtained from Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower, Occupational Safety Department. In this paper, the model’s application will be demonstrated through a case study, which involves codification of investigation information based on an actual incident report, and a safety planning process based on a hypothetical case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method was used to determine the priority of processes outlined in the BS8800 Guide to Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems for the Hong Kong construction industry. Analysis of variance was used to further investigate the differences among three different kinds of construction enterprises: joint venture (JV), well-established (W-E) and small and medium sized (SME) enterprises. This study of 32 construction enterprises suggests that JV and W-E enterprises are able to demonstrate stronger commitment to strategic safety issues whereas SMEs focus more on the short-term safety issues in implementation of safety management system. The results also indicate that "Safety Training" may be a problem area in all three groups. When considering differences shown between groups, these rankings can be used as a guide for the practical implementation of the British Standard BS8800 Safety Management System in construction enterprises in Hong Kong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determines the safety hazards faced by construction workers in Singapore. Measures for dealing hazards in construction worksites; Responsibility of the construction industry to provide a safe work environment for workers; Effect of management on safety in construction worksites.

In this article we first examine the safety record of the construction industry and the premises underlying the provisions of the new 'self-regulating' system of accident prevention as set out in the Robens Report. Reviewing the available literature, we then consider how far these premises are consistent with factors affecting health and safety at work and how far the new institutional arrangements go towards providing safer working conditions. Finally, a provisional assessment is made of the likely impact of safety representatives in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hong Kong's construction industry has had a poor site safety record for over a decade. Behaviour-based methods of safety management (BSM) have proved successful in other industries and in other countries. Hence, this study aimed to test the effectiveness of BSM by applying goal-setting and feedback interventions to specific areas of safety performance on Hong Kong Housing Authority construction sites. Using a within-group experimental design and with the use of a proportional rating safety measurement instrument, data were collected on the effectiveness of BSM on Hung Kong sites. The data were recognized as time series data; this has been a serious methodological oversight in much previous research. The data were analysed using autoregressive moving averages models, and the results were mixed in that a significant improvement in safety performance occurred in the housekeeping category of intervention but no improvement was observed in the access to heights and bamboo scaffolding categories. Based on these results a goal setting/expectancy theory model of site safety improvement has been synthesized, and the lack of provision of an adequate safety infrastructure has been identified as a serious impediment to improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety improvement in the construction industry will only be achieved if all concerned in the operation of construction sites change their behaviour. This article describes the development and effects of behaviourally-based management techniques in improving site safety. Goal-setting and feedback methods were developed and tested on six construction sites in the Northwest of England. A longitudinal research design was adopted, in which measures of safety performance were taken before, during and after the application of these methods. The measures included four categories of measurement: access to heights; site housekeeping (tidiness); scaffolding; and use of personal protective equipment. Three of these categories were used for experiments with a variety of goal-setting and feedback interventions, while the fourth was used as a control. The results show that: safety behaviour can be objectively and reliably measured; goal-setting and feedback can produce large improvements in safety performance; commitment of site management appears to enhance their effectiveness. The work was financed by the Health and Safety Executive, and a further contract to develop the techniques into a basic part of safety management for several large construction companies has begun.
This article describes the development and implementation, and reports the results, of a set of behaviourally-based management procedures designed to improve safety on construction sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to induce top management of construction companies in Israel to become involved in safety, the present research undertook to prove that in Israel, too, uninsured accident costs are very high. Through in-depth interviews of 50 site managers concerning 210 accidents, complementary interviews with other officials in construction and insurance companies, study of records, and conduct of direct observations of accidents after they occurred, a conclusion contradicting the accepted view in insurance circles is reached. The research establishes that uninsured costs in construction companies with an average safety performance record amount to a mere 0.76% of the payroll. In a parallel research in large, developed companies in the USA, existing safety measurement methods feeding the information system were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]