The use and abuse of safety indicators in construction

Oswald, David; Zhang, Rita Peihua; Lingard, Helen; Pirzadeh, Payam; Lê, Thái Hoàng

doi:10.1108/ecam-07-2017-0121

Cited by 31 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…Second, this research used one safety climate survey to capture the perceptions of project personnel at different levels. We are conscious that Oswald et al (2018) recommend that safety climate measurement tools should be developed to capture the prominent safety aspects at different organisational levels because safety climate perceptions are likely to take different forms at different levels of organisation. Therefore, we suggest further qualitative ethnographic research through techniques such as observations and interviews, to “get under the surface” of hoe climate manifests in reality and to understand how each component of safety climate is actually manifested in different cultural contexts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing the safety climate of the Indonesian and Australian construction industries

Loosemore

Sunindijo

Lestari³

et al. 2019

ECAM

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess, compare and explain safety climate differences between the Indonesian and Australian construction industries. Design/methodology/approach The paper reports a comparative safety climate survey of 415 construction personnel working in the Australian and Indonesia construction industries. Findings Surprisingly, the results show that the safety climate in Indonesia and Australia are similar and that the differences in safety performance, safety climate must be interpreted within the context of wider health and safety norms, regulations, awareness, knowledge and typical work environments to make any sense. Research limitations/implications This research contributes a missing international comparative dimension to the emerging research on construction safety climate. Indonesian studies are notably absent from this literature, despite the size of the country and the poor health and safety record of its construction industry. Similar comparisons between safety climate in other countries need to be made. Practical implications This research allows construction managers operating across international boundaries to better understand the cultural and institutional context in which safety climate is developed. This will assist in the development of more culturally sensitive safety management strategies. Social implications The construction industry’s poor safety record has serious implications for both individuals working in the industry, their immediate families and the communities in which they live. By improving the safety record of the industry these impacts can be reduced. Originality/value This research reveals, for the first time, the cultural and institutional complexities of comparing safety climate across different countries. The results contribute to safety climate research by highlighting the importance of cultural and institutional relativity in making international comparisons of health and safety research.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing the safety climate of the Indonesian and Australian construction industries

Loosemore

Sunindijo

Lestari³

et al. 2019

ECAM

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“…In many cases their role had been extended, for example to take on increased responsibility for briefings or inductions. The importance of the supervisor in construction is widely discussed in the literature, and in particular their contribution to improved OSH practice (Gibb et al, 2015;Oswald et al, 2018;Sommovigo et al, 2019;Talabi, Edum-Fotwe and Gibb, 2019;Winge, Albrechtsen and Mostue, 2019).…”

Section: Workplace Induction: a Work In Progressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adapting to COVID-19 on construction sites: what are the lessons for long-term improvements in safety and worker effectiveness?

Jones

Gibb

Chow

2021

JEDT

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Purpose Substantial changes were made on many UK construction projects in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this paper is to explore the unanticipated positive consequences of these and the scope for longer-term learning and developments within the sector. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was used, semi-structured interviews were conducted across six major project sites. Interviewees (n = 33) included site and senior managers, supply chain representatives and occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals. The interviews explored their experiences of working on site during the pandemic, the changes made to work practices and their perceived impacts of these changes. Findings Improved planning and work sequencing were part of the revised process to make sites COVID-secure. This increased worker effectiveness and housekeeping/tidiness. The view on some sites was that this would improve OSH performance. The changes were perceived to be beneficial but may not be accepted by clients in the long term, as they could result in projects taking longer to complete. The ways in which COVID-19 risk has been communicated and perceived also provides longer-term lessons for the sector’s OSH management and training. Originality/value Construction has adapted rapidly and effectively to new ways of working during the pandemic. This research captured in real time some of the changes made and presents an argument for embedding and adopting the changes to improve working arrangements and OSH within the construction sector.

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“…Research on factors affecting PSL reveals that such factors vary in different countries and depend on the local characteristics of the construction industry. Safety indicators do not present the full range of factors affecting PSL, and vagueness and disagreements in choosing them are inevitable (Oswald et al, 2018). Consequently, an examination of different factors and their impacts on PSL is necessary for any region/country.…”

Section: A Framework For Evaluating Construction Pslsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing a framework for evaluating construction project safety levels and optimal cost allocation to safety influential factors

Ketabi

Heravi

2021

ECAM

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PurposeThis study aimed to explain how a framework could be developed for (1) the preliminary estimation of project safety level (PSL) in current projects, (2) the estimation of the maximum possible PSL using limited financial resources and (3) the estimation of the minimum financial resources required for reaching a specific PSL.Design/methodology/approachThe data of 95 steel structural building projects were collected via a questionnaire to evaluate the proposed framework for the Iranian construction industry. Based on unofficial local construction statistics and literature reviews, six safety influential factors (SIFs) were selected to which a cost could be assigned. The costs associated with various levels were also determined for each SIF through literature reviews and expert interviews. A multiple linear regression (MLR) model was developed as a predictive model to determine PSL for future projects based on the data of previous projects. Moreover, linear programming (LP) was applied to take modeling constraints and project conditions into account.FindingsThe results demonstrated the impacts of all the factors on PSL and the model's potential for the preliminary estimation of PSL using SIFs. The results also indicated that a higher PSL could be achieved by optimizing the allocation of financial resources to each SIF.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by developing a step-by-step framework to identify an optimal safety cost allocation (OSCA) to achieve the maximum possible PSL using a limited safety budget and considering the data of similar projects. The main objective was to promote project safety, decrease construction site injuries and fatalities and help local construction industries exploit potential financial advantages.

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The use and abuse of safety indicators in construction

Cited by 31 publications

References 71 publications

Comparing the safety climate of the Indonesian and Australian construction industries

Comparing the safety climate of the Indonesian and Australian construction industries

Adapting to COVID-19 on construction sites: what are the lessons for long-term improvements in safety and worker effectiveness?

Developing a framework for evaluating construction project safety levels and optimal cost allocation to safety influential factors

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