A method to estimate occupational health and safety costs in construction projects

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a research project carried out in Spain that aims to develop a method that let employers to assess, during the design phase, the occupational health and safety costs of a specific construction project. This method classifies costs in four categories: insurance costs, prevention costs, accident costs, and recovery of costs. Labor accident data were obtained from 1990 to 2007 for the entire Spanish construction industry, and these data were subsequently homogenized and exploited. A mathematical model was created for computing each cost category. This method allows employers and project managers to estimate aprioristically the cost incurred as a result of occupational health and safety during the project, based on tangible values such as the construction project budget or the work schedule, as well as statistical data. An application to this method in a case study illustrated that the occupational health and safety costs for that construction project came to approximately 5% of the total cost of the budget.

Reliability Model and Critical Factors Identification of Construction Safety Management Based on System Thinking

“…According to the statistical reports released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) of China, a total of 634 accidents occurred in the Chinese housing and municipal construction industry resulting in 735 deaths during 2016, while 692 accidents occurred resulting in 807 deaths during 2017, with an increase. Frequent construction accidents not only cause huge economic losses to construction companies, but also damage the health and well-being of relevant people and the stability of social development (Pellicer, Carvajal, Rubio, & Catalá, 2014;Feng, Zhang, & Wu, 2015).…”

Design and Validation of a Predictive Tool for Work Accidents at Construction Sites

“…En el sector de la construcción, la seguridad y salud siempre se ha considerado con especial atención, debido sobre todo al elevado número de accidentes (Hallowell, 2012;Pellicer et al, 2014). Estos accidentes, además de afectar trágicamente a las familias de los trabajadores (Hinze, 2002), también suponen pérdidas económicas para las empresas constructoras , Pelliceret et al, 2014.…”

Biometrics analysis on hazard awareness of construction workers

“…Some workers are migrants who cannot understand the local language well, others may not be aware of the potential hazard at work. In fact, it is undeniable that carelessness and negligence at work often lead to accidents and subsequent unavoidable costs to contractors and developers who have the obligation on sites safety issues under the present legal framework (7). Thereby, safety training before and during construction is essential to all participants as collective safety behavior contributes to safety practices (8).…”