Analysis of the interaction between safety measures and workers' safety awareness from the construction workers' perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatih Yılmaz
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
General Level ◽  
Construction Site ◽  
Construction Sites ◽  
Perceived Knowledge ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Actual Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Safety Awareness ◽  
Knowledge Levels

PurposeThe research was carried out to statistically evaluate the relationship between the safety measures at the construction sites and the actual and perceived knowledge levels of the employees about these measures.Design/methodology/approachFace-to-face surveys were conducted with the workers. The survey included some perception-based questions about preventive measures at the construction site, as well as determining the level of awareness of employees on occupational health and safety (OHS) practices. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistical methods and bivariate correlation analysis.FindingsThe actual knowledge levels of workers on OHS measures in the workplace is significantly lower than their perceived knowledge levels. However, there is a positive, linear and strong relationship between the actual knowledge levels of the employees about some OHS rules applied in the workplace and the general level of knowledge they perceive about themselves. Some protective measures such as occupational safety expert, OHS board, employee representatives, training and information activities at construction sites positively affect the safety awareness of employees. However, low-frequency and documentation-intensive activities such as risk assessment, emergency activities and periodic controls have no or weak correlations.Originality/valuePerception-based opinions of construction site workers on occupational safety issues are transformed into numerical data and analyzed with a quantitative method.

scholarly journals Technological Aspects in Construction Safety with Applicability to Hazards in India

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (10) ◽  
pp. 6-13
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Hazard Identification ◽  
Construction Site ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Construction Sites ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Technological Tools

In India as well as in the global scenario Construction industry is viewed as one of the largest employment and economy generating sector, which in turn increases the probability of hazard & risks in the industry. Many developed countries have adopted technological interventions as safety measures to minimize these risks. Comparing to the safety scenarios in Indian construction sites, the hazards are twenty times higher than in United Kingdom and thirty times than in U.S.A. In developing countries like India, the completion of the project is given more importance than the safety rules and regulations. Most of the hazards in Indian Construction site arises due to the carelessness of human beings, improper safety trainings, and lack of technology as well as communication. This study aims to find the applicable technological tools that can be utilised for ensuring safety at construction sites. The study also gives the information about various hazards and applicable technological tools for a particular kind of hazard. The study utilizes the data from the existing literature available with OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and research papers & journals to find the most commonly occurring hazards and also the technological tools that are existing in the market and employed to cope with the identified hazards. The data collected is then analysed and on basis of the hazard identification, a comprehensive list of technological tools used for the preventive or safety measures for that particular hazard at construction site are formulated. The findings of this research will be helpful to produce a better safety management plan for construction sites in India.

Implementation challenges of COVID-19 safety measures at construction sites in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Amoah ◽  
Fredrick Simpeh
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Construction Site ◽  
Construction Sites ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Construction Companies

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed safety measures in every industry, including the construction industry. Thus, the construction companies have instituted safety measures at the construction sites to curve the disease’s spread among the workforce. This paper aims to examine the challenges encountered by construction firms in implementing COVID-19 safety measures at construction sites. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research approach was adopted for this study using open-ended interview questions to solicit data from 19 construction professionals currently working on a construction project in South Africa. Content analysis with the assistance of an Excel spreadsheet was used to analyse the data collected. Findings The findings indicate that there are numerous challenges such as ignorance of COVID-19, the supply of poor personal protective equipment (PPEs) by contractors, lack of compliance, sanitising construction materials, difficulty in sharing tools and equipment, public transport usage by workers, superstition (COVID-19 is for a particular group of people), complying with social distancing rules, among others in the implementation of the COVID-19 safety measure at the construction site to curb the spread of the disease among the workers. These challenges have, therefore, hampered their effort to strictly adhere to the safety measures in accordance with the COVID-19 safety protocol at the project sites currently under construction. Research limitations/implications The interviewees were construction professionals working in the South African construction industry during the COVID-19 period. Practical implications The implication is that, due to the challenges faced in implementing the COVID-19 safety measures, workers on the construction site are not adequately protected from contracting COVID-19. The workers may thus contract the disease at the project sites and transmit it to their families and vice versa, which may have further implications on the spread of the disease within the communities and society. Originality/value The study has identified implementation challenges of the COVID-19 safety measures at construction sites of which the construction stakeholders must institute measures to overcome since COVID-19 has become part of our daily life. The study also recommends some preventive measures to the owners of construction companies to help overcome or minimise these COVID-19 safety implementation hurdles to minimise the spread of the disease among the construction site workers.

scholarly journals Safety Assessment and Risk Management in Indian Building Construction Sites

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4S2) ◽  
pp. 8-12
Keyword(s):  
Safety Assessment ◽  
Building Construction ◽  
Construction Site ◽  
Construction Sites ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Severity Rating ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Incident Rate ◽  
Observation Method ◽  
Unsafe Condition

Construction sites records high accident and incident rate due to lack of safety measures. Safety assessment rating is significant for every construction site to know safety status of the particular site. In this research TR safety observation method is used to assess the site performance. As unsafe condition is the key factor in every construction site, this research considers the possible unsafe conditions to assess the site performance. A questionnaire survey is done with the workers to know the existing safe conditions. Results showed that the safety performance of the site is 39%. Then every unsafe condition is ranked with respect to severity rating for detailed analysis. Furthermore bowtie analysis is used to identify the causes and consequences of the unsafe conditions. Through this analysis the owner can reduce the risk of every event and improve the site performance.

Show you the money – firms investing in worker safety have better financial performance: insights from a mapping review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saymon Ricardo de Oliveira Sousa ◽  
Cristiane Melchior ◽  
Wesley Vieira Da Silva ◽  
Roselaine Ruviaro Zanini ◽  
Zhaohui Su ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Return On Investment ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Worker Safety ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mapping Review ◽  
Overall Performance

PurposeThis study aims to (1) investigate the association between companies' investment in occupational safety and their financial performance and (2) discuss the importance of occupational safety to overall performance.Design/methodology/approachOccupational safety is often considered to be a practice that can yield suboptimal return on investment. However, it is not known whether this belief is substantiated by evidence. A mapping review of the eligible research literature (N = 36) regarding firms' investment in occupational safety and their financial performance, published between 1945 and2018, was carried out in the Web of Science database.FindingsBy dispelling myths regarding return on investment associated with occupational safety, the findings of this study underscore financial gains firms can obtain by promoting occupational safety measures in their organizations.Originality/valueThese issues are important because they can help policymakers understand the pressures companies face in terms of occupational safety and financial performance sustainability.

scholarly journals Covid-19 protocols: assessing construction site workers compliance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Ayodele Olukolajo ◽  
Abiodun Kolawole Oyetunji ◽  
Ifeoluwa Benjamin Oluleye
Keyword(s):  
Research Method ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Construction Site ◽  
Construction Sites ◽  
Protective Measures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Contact Precautions ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Purpose This paper aims to investigate construction site workers’ compliance with various coronavirus (Covid-19) protocols while working on construction sites. Design/methodology/approach This survey was conducted at the end of the imposed lockdown following Nigeria’s upsurge of the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey research method was adopted for the study using a structured questionnaire administered to 246 construction site workers under strict Covid-19 preventive measures. The data was complemented through personal observations of the study site activities. The results were analysed using frequency tables and a factor analytical approach. Findings The preventive measures in place on construction sites can be classified into personal protective measures, good etiquette/manners, contact precautions and prompt actions. Although the workers claimed to be aware of the Covid-19 pandemic, their disposition towards the preventive measures on construction sites is worrisome. Hence, their level of compliance with the protocols could mitigate the spread of the virus. Originality/value This paper fulfils an identified gap to study the need to promote public health by mitigating the global pandemic’s spread in areas where social distancing cannot be easily observed.

scholarly journals A PRELIMINARY SURVEY ON SAFETY PRACTICES AT CONSTRUCTION SITE: TOWARDS SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR PUBLIC

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (26) ◽  
pp. 300-310
Author(s):  
Nurul Ain Shuhada Azil ◽  
Izatul Laili Jabar
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Public Safety ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Preliminary Survey ◽  
Construction Site ◽  
Construction Sites ◽  
Safety Practices ◽  
The Public ◽  
Safety And Health

The construction industry is globally known as one of the most hazardous workplaces. Companies in the construction sector are undeniably often focused on completing projects on time, which results in tight work schedules and increases the risks of regular construction site activities, especially for the public who lives in the area. Inadequate rules and regulations in public safety and construction sites not practicing the safety practices to protect the public from harm are potential to cause public accidents to happen. Additionally, little improvement in safety practices at the construction sites and lack of awareness in implementing proper safety practices at a construction site could cause the increasing the rate of public accidents too. This study merely aims to explore the safety practices to be implemented at a construction site in a way to prevent public accidents from occurring. In order to achieve the aim, this study has two (2) objectives; 1: to determine the experience in handling accident cases involving the public at a construction site, and, objective 2: to explore the safety practices to be implemented at the construction site. For this preliminary survey, the qualitative research design was selected and the total number of five (5) professional individuals specialized in safety and health in construction sites were chosen as interviewees based on their experiences in handling public safety issues in construction sites. The results show the most recommended safety practices that need to be implemented which is barricade all entrances and exits of the construction site to prevent access from the public. This study provides good insights to the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) in identifying the need for safety practices to prevent public accidents at the construction site in congested urban areas.

Construction companies’ compliance to personal protective equipment on junior staff in Nigeria: issues and solutions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Ebekozien
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Construction Sites ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Junior Staff ◽  
Monitoring And Enforcement ◽  
The Government

PurposeThe frequent occurrence of hazards, especially on junior staff in developing countries, is a major setback on project delivery. This is because the safety of the construction workers' environment influences their performance. Although a range of literature has addressed safety measures on construction sites, how far is their compliance with personal protective equipment (PPE) on junior staff is yet to receive in-depth studies in Nigeria. Therefore, this study investigated the level of Nigerian construction companies' compliance and proffered possible solutions that intend to improve the implementation of PPE on junior staff.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected via observation and face-to-face interviews among the selected companies' staff in Lagos and Abuja. The interview is to determine their perceptions regarding compliance with PPE on construction sites.FindingsFindings show that compliance with PPE on junior staff, especially the indigenous construction companies, is poor. This is because monitoring and enforcement are lax by government regulatory agencies. Also, findings show that many international construction companies ensure that junior workers obey site safety measures those mitigate the chance of hazard occurrence during construction as a policy.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper data collection is limited to Abuja and Lagos, and a phenomenology type of qualitative research was employed, but this does not weaken the robustness. Future research is needed to consider adopting a mixed-methods approach.Practical implicationsAs part of this paper's implications, findings recommended that the construction company's safety regulations and policies should be robust and enriched to mitigate site-related hazards via a framework or mechanism, but the government agencies/ministries need to give the enabling direction, strict monitoring and enforcement of PPE on junior staff. This paper intends to stir up the appropriate government authorities for possibly passing the Labour, Safety, Health and Welfare Bill 2012 (updated in 2016) Act into law.Originality/valueThis study demonstrates that the government agencies concern with approval and enforcement of construction site safety needs to reawaken to their responsibilities because of the lax implementation in many sites, especially in indigenous construction sites.

Is the construction site a safer place under the USACE or local government guidelines? The case of Afghanistan

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Hashim Ibrahimkhil ◽  
Laith Hadidi
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Safety Performance ◽  
Construction Site ◽  
Infrastructure Projects ◽  
Construction Sites ◽  
Safety Practices ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to assess the safety level of construction sites in Afghanistan following the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) safety practices and compare this with other construction sites in Afghanistan that follow local government safety guidelines. The USACE oversees and funds many infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, and these projects are supposed to follow the same standards implemented in the USA, including safety standards. The local government of Afghanistan also funds infrastructure projects in Afghanistan; however, these do not follow USACE best practices. This research explores the question of whether the USACE standards provide a safer construction site. The effect of the USACE standards on safety practices in construction projects is also investigated in the Afghanistan construction industry.Design/methodology/approachA literature review and other safety checklists were used to develop a safety checklist containing 104 items (questions) in 17 categories. Subsequently, the checklist was used to assess the safety performance of 57 construction projects (25 USACE projects, and 32 governmental projects). Utilizing quantitative analysis, the Spearman rank correlation coefficient (Rho) and Mann–Whitney tests were carried out for correlation and statistical disparity between USACE and governmental projects.FindingsThe safety performance level of Afghan government projects was found to be poor in relation to other developing countries, while in USACE projects it was excellent. In addition, fire prevention, safety administration, PPE, heavy equipment, and handling and storage of materials for all types of contractors were the most overlooked aspects of Afghan Government projects.Practical implicationsThe findings clearly demonstrate the deficiencies in construction sites observed during this study and also support the adoption of USACE standards in Afghanistan projects.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the safety of construction sites in Afghanistan. The study also demonstrates the benefits of adopting international standards (USACE) to improve the safety of construction sites in a developing country such as Afghanistan. The findings provide evidence of the safety of the Afghanistan construction industry compared to other developing countries. These findings will contribute to the Afghan Government's efforts to track injury statistics.

Occupational Safety in the Construction Site: Survey and Principle in Cheng Du

2011 ◽  
Vol 94-96 ◽  
pp. 2169-2174
Author(s):  
Hong Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Construction Safety ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Construction Site ◽  
Construction Sites ◽  
Construction Company ◽  
Site Survey

This paper describes a survey of site safety organization in construction sites. It explains the principle of a successful safety organization and system for Construction Company based in Cheng Du, Si Chuan. Most employees of the company and some of the subcontractors took part in the survey more than 10 construction projects. Total, 365 valid records were obtained from the construction sites. The results of the survey provide reference to project managers and construction safety officers. Last, analysis and summary are given in this paper.

scholarly journals Spatio-temporal analysis of trajectories for safer construction sites

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Arslan ◽  
Christophe Cruz ◽  
Ana-Maria Roxin ◽  
Dominique Ginhac
Keyword(s):  
Safety Management ◽  
Construction Safety ◽  
Construction Workers ◽  
Gps Data ◽  
Construction Site ◽  
Trajectory Data ◽  
Construction Sites ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Construction Safety Management

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to improve the safety of construction workers by understanding their behaviors on construction sites using spatio-temporal (ST) trajectories. Design/methodology/approach A review of construction safety management literature and international occupational health and safety statistics shows that the major reasons for fatalities on construction sites are mobility-related issues, such as unsafe human behaviors, difficult site conditions, and workers falling from heights and striking against or being struck by moving objects. Consequently, literature has been reviewed to find possible technological solutions to track the mobility of construction workers to reduce fatalities. This examination has suggested that location acquisition systems, such as Global Positioning System (GPS), have been widely used for real-time monitoring and tracking of workers on construction sites for hazard prevention. However, the raw data captured from GPS devices are generally available as discrete points and do not hold enough information to understand the workers’ mobility. As a solution, an application to transform raw GPS data into ST trajectories using different preprocessing algorithms is proposed for enhancing worker safety on construction sites. Findings The proposed system preprocesses raw GPS data for stay point detection, trajectory segmentation and intersection of multiple trajectories to find significant places and movements of workers on a construction site to enhance the information available to H&S managers for decision-making processes. In addition, it reduces the size of trajectory data for future analyses. Originality/value Application of location acquisition systems for construction safety management is very well addressed in the existing literature. However, a significant gap has been found: the usage of preprocessed ST trajectories is still missing in workers’ safety monitoring scenarios in the area of construction management. To address this research gap, the proposed system uses preprocessed ST trajectories to monitor workers’ movements on a construction site to identify potentially unsafe behaviors.

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