Safety Knowledge Management Practices in Indian Construction Companies

Abstract

In the construction industry, safety has always been a persistent issue. The importance of safety knowledge for construction was highlighted by literature and practices. This study aimed to understand safety knowledge management (KM) commitments, strategies, and tools being used in Indian construction organisations. A survey was conducted among safety managers/heads in eight leading Indian construction contractors operating in a global construction market. The results indicated that out of eight companies, safety KM systems were available in seven companies and one was looking to implement it. All the organisations consider safety KM as the strategic assets for their companies and were aware of safety KM’s benefits. Email, Internet, small-group meetings and brainstorming were considered the most important tools to transfer safety knowledge among these organisations. Out of eight, six contracting organisations were aware that costly errors occurred at their companies when safety knowledge was not available when and where it was needed. Hence, safety knowledge sharing culture should be cultivated to enhance the safety performance of contracting companies. The findings may be used to establish standards to facilitate safety KM as an initial point for the government. This study would serve as a foundation for companies to enhance safety performance by improving their safety KM systems.

SAFEFORM: Usability analysis of a safety-based knowledge management system

“…As SAFEFORMs' SUS score was more than 80.7, the usability of SAFEFORM, according to respondents, was 82. 16 excellent. Acceptability is the fourth way of describing SUS.…”

“…According to Kamardeen [17], utilizing and transforming knowledge from different sources for continuous corporate improvement is the strategy of KM. KM is viewed to improve organizations' efficiency and competitiveness [16]. In the same line, Hallowell [18] pointed out that an effective safety KM could enhance the performance of safety in CI.…”

“…Incorporating knowledge management (KM) into safety planning could eliminate the challenges related to safety in CPs [16]. According to Kamardeen [17], utilizing and transforming knowledge from different sources for continuous corporate improvement is the strategy of KM.…”

Integration Factors of Design Participants in Performance-Based Building Design of Commercial Property

“…Zhang et al [36] classify knowledge as a source of explicit knowledge and a source of tacit knowledge. Explicit knowledge is a source of knowledge that is easy to codify and disseminate between individuals in the form of organized documentation, for example, standard specifications, and research reports [37]. While tacit knowledge is a source of knowledge developed by individuals based on years of work experience that can be explored through conversation or communication [38].…”