Construction Safety Management: Strategies, Challenges, And Developments

Construction Industry Risks

Discuss about the Construction Safety Management.

Safety is a very important factor in construction industry. It can affect the quality of the final structure being built, the speed of project completion, the overall project cost and reputation of the construction company. To ensure safety throughout the project period, it requires all stakeholders involved in the construction project to hold paramount the safety of workers, the general public and the environment. This can only be achieved if there is proper understanding and planning for safety. The client, engineers, consultants, project managers, contractors, suppliers and site workers need to understand the details of safety management and their role towards ensuring safety on construction sites. The problem sometimes is that clients and engineers focus more on completing the project faster and at a lower cost without putting more emphasis on the safety and health of those people who are directly or indirectly involved in the activities going on the site (Design and Build, 2015). Hence this research will be analyzing the details of construction safety management, including the strategies, challenges, opportunities and developments related to this topic.

Construction industry is among industries that record the highest number of injuries and deaths each year worldwide. One of the major reasons for these is that most of the construction works involve use of heavy, moving and risky machines; working from heights; and working in challenging environments. These injuries and deaths are usually caused by falls, slips and trips; falls from height; handling and lifting; struck by objects; caught-in/between; and electrocution (Health and Safety Executive, 2016). Some of the questions in this research are: what factors hinder implementation of effective construction safety management systems? What are the impacts of construction safety management? What are some of the construction safety management systems that are being used today? What are some of the strategies that stakeholders in the construction industry are using to improve safety? What are governments doing to ensure that safety on construction sites is improved? What are the social, economic and environmental impacts of construction safety management

The main aim of this research is to develop more effective management strategies that can be used to improve safety in the construction sector. The objectives of the research are to: ensure that top management gets committed to develop feasible safety management programs and appropriate health and safety policies; ensure that relevant stakeholders in the sector get proper safety education and training; develop ways of conducting accident-prevention inspections on sites; identify ways of ensuring that accidents are properly investigated to determine their cause; hold accountable those in authority; provide a safe and healthy working environment; provide adequate support to workers; maintain proper records and documentation of construction accidents; train workers on how to identify, mitigate and report risks; and identify ways of measuring the performance and effectiveness of safety management strategies and/or systems.     

Objectives of the Research

The topic of construction safety management is very important in the construction industry because of its numerous potential benefits. Some of these include: reducing the number of injuries and deaths in the construction industry; reducing the number of delays during construction; reducing project completion period; increasing productivity of workers; and avoiding construction budget overruns, among others.

Construction workers usually perform activities that expose them to a wide range of risks. These risks include: falling from heights such as rooftops, being struck by falling objects or heavy machines, being hit or cut by unguarded machines, using hazardous materials such as asbestos and silica dust, electrocution, etc. The jobsites are generally complex environments and workers from different fields of professions meet in these challenging physical environments to complete a project. All these make construction industry a high hazard sector in all parts of the world (Burger, 2016). If workers are not careful, they can easily hurt or even kill themselves. However, the likelihood and number of these risks can be reduced if proper safety management systems and strategies are put in place by key stakeholders in the construction industry.  

The construction sector has experienced profound changes over the last few decades. These changes include the complexity of projects, changes in environmental or jobsite conditions, construction methods, design and communication tools used (Marr, 2016), methods of project delivery, use of new and unfamiliar building materials and technologies (Thatcher Associates, 2016), increased use of prefabrication, increased interest in green design and building (The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, 2010), increased use of multifunctional mobile machines on site, etc. Most of the activities in the construction industry are now being automated (Wursten and Hodel, 2015). All these changes have significant impact on safety management on construction sites. This is because the changes have unique challenges that most of the stakeholders in the sector are unfamiliar with. It requires them to learn, develop and implement new techniques of ensuring safety on site. This requires a lot of resources including time, money and personnel.      

Construction safety management entails developing a system that can identify hazards and manage risks that are associated with construction activities. This includes the policies of the company, systems, procedures and accountabilities that will assist in ensuring that appropriate precautions are put in place and properly maintained so as to improve safety of all persons involved in construction activities, either directly or indirectly. There are four main components and/or procedures of an effective safety management systems. First, it is the ability to identify all possible safety hazards that are related to the construction activities being performed by the company. This is followed by assessing the risks that are related to each of the hazards. Second, it is to develop and implement risk management techniques that will keep all risks within acceptable limits. The aim should be to keep all risks at zero level. Third, it is to monitor the performance and effectiveness of the safety management system continuously. This can be done by comparing the number of accidents, injuries or fatalities that occurred before and after implementation of the system. The evaluation has to be done regularly so as to have a better understanding of the system’s performance. Fourth, it is to continuously improve the system so as to avoid as more hazards as possible and keep their associated risks at very low levels (Burger, 2016).

Potential Benefits of Construction Safety Management

Following the susceptibility of construction workers to accidents and injuries, most countries have made it mandatory for construction firms to promote and uphold safe working environments. For example, construction companies are required to make it mandatory for all persons on a site to be in proper personal protective equipment depending on the activity they are doing. Government agencies usually conduct impromptu inspections to find out how companies are implementing these rules. Those who violet the requirements are usually fined heavily and can even lose their business licenses. All these demonstrate how serious the issue of safety management is in the construction sector.

McGraw Hill Construction (2013) states that construction companies and contractors who have used safety management systems have recorded the following benefits: decreased project schedule, higher project return on investment (ROI), decreased project budget, reduced injury rates, improved reputation, improved project quality, and increased capability of contracting new work. Nevertheless, only a few construction companies are enjoying all these benefits. It is requires proper planning and coordination and substantial resources to enjoy the benefits. 

All stakeholders in the construction industry should understand and play their roles appropriately in order to achieve optimal safety on jobsites. Developers/clients should factor in workplace safety and health (WSH) perform when choosing the design team, contractors and consultants and compel them to adopt measures of prioritizing and improving WSH performance. Architects and designers should work with all key stakeholders in identifying possible construction hazards and develop techniques of mitigating their related risks during design stage. They should also inform contractors about residual risks. Contractors should ensure that adequate resources are located for WSH and also ensure continuous improvement of their WSH management systems. Resident engineers, project managers, supervisors, clerks of works and workers should be vigilant and work together in identifying and managing hazards and risks at each stage of the project. Last but not least, professional bodies, industry associations and unions should promote WSH programmes by urging and engaging their members to implement effective safety management systems (Workplace Safety and Health Council, 2010).

The best and easiest way of implementing a construction safety management plan or system is by developing a culture of safety within the organization and ensuring that the system being implemented is in line with the culture, vision, mission and values of the company. This will make it easier for all internal and external parties associated with the company to support the system. As a result, every person will prioritize their safety and that of others in everything they do. The company should take the moral obligation of ensuring that none of their employees are at risk. In other words, safety management ensures that everyone in the construction industry is protected (Safety Management Group, 2016). All people should be educated and trained so that they can understand and appreciate the benefits of safety management in construction industry. These educational and training programs should be rolled out continuously and in all parts of the world. Stakeholders should learn about building materials, construction equipment, industrial hygiene, safety policies and practices, risk management, ergonomics and environmental safety, among others. They should also understand the impact of all these elements on safety in the construction industry. Above all, construction managers should plan for safety before commencement of any construction project.

Literature Review

The methodology used in this research will have a significant impact on the quantity and quality of data collected and the final results. This methodology is purposed to collect adequate data from a wide range of reliable sources to ensure that all research questions are comprehensively answered.  The methodology is selected based on the main aim of the research, which is to develop more effective management strategies that can be used to improve safety in the construction industry. It is believed that using this methodology, the researcher will be able to collect the necessary data to answer the research questions and attain the main objective. It is also assumed that all potential participants will cooperate with the researcher. 

The methodology that will be used in conducting this research is mixed methods approach. This approach entails collecting, examining and integrating quantitative and qualitative data. The approach gives the researcher the freedom to apply any techniques, methods and procedures that are associated with qualitative and quantitative research. These techniques can either be used simultaneously or consecutively (Alzheimer Europe, 2013). It also helps the researcher to understand the research problem in a better way than using either qualitative or quantitative approach (FoodRisc Resource Centre, 2016). 

There are several advantages of mixed methods approach. Firstly, it makes it easier for the researcher to match the method purpose to the research need. Therefore all these benefits make the method most suitable for this particular research. This enables the researcher to triangulate data and be sure of its variance level and validity before using it. Secondly, it supplements the correlation and consistency of quantitative and qualitative data collected, where on clarifies the other. Thirdly, it makes it easier to explain contradictory or complex survey responses. Fourthly, it improves the completeness of study findings (Chow, Quine and Li, 2010). Fifthly, it allows the researcher to expand the dimensions of the study topic. Most importantly is that this approach allows the research to analyze research questions from varied angles and/or perspectives. Thus considering the applications, capabilities and benefits of mixed methods approach, it is a sufficient methodology to collect desirable data and analyze it to get findings that will be used to answer all research questions and attain the aim and objectives of the research.

The strategy that will be used to conduct this research is case study. This is a kind of descriptive research that looks at individuals, organizations or a group of people. The strategy entails collecting data by participation, observation, tests, interviews, analyzing existing records, etc. The data is analyzed comprehensively so as to have an in-depth understanding of the topic that is being studied. This strategy is most suitable when: addressing complex situations, such as safety management in the changing construction industry; context is very important to the research; analyzing the situation from multiple perspectives (such as that of the developer, contractor, engineer, supplier, consultant, etc.); and flexibility of the study is very important (Walshe et al, 2004).

Another reason why this strategy is the most suitable for the research is that it focuses on analyzing and describing the problem or research topic instead of looking at effect and cause. This ensures that data is analyzed within the research context. The strategy is suitable for analyzing data using both qualitative and quantitative approaches (mixed methods approach), which is the methodology that will be used in this research. Case study also helps in exploring data in both real-life situations and other complexities that may not have been described in the research problem (Zainal, 2007). The approach is most suitable for answering ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions, where the researcher has very minimal control over events and context is very essential.

Considering all these factors, case study is a suitable strategy to answer all research questions that are being investigated and achieve the aim of the study.

The data collection methods to be used in this research include: interviews, questionnaires, observations, documents and records, and focus groups. Interviews will be a combination of personal (face-to-face interviews) and telephone interviews (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 2015). Different forms of interviews will be used including structured interviews, semi-structured interviews and informal interviews. The interviews questions will be clear, focused and encourage respondents to give open-ended responses. Questionnaires will contain both closed-ended and open-ended questions. The technique is usually used for collecting data on a specific topic from large groups of people. The questionnaires will be web based questionnaires and paper-pencil questionnaires. Observation techniques to be used in collecting data include reactive/direct observation and unobstructive observation. These techniques will be a combination of structured, semi-structured and unstructured observations (The University of Sheffield, 2017). Focus group is a data collection technique where data is collected from individuals that share common things. In this case, the technique will be used to collect data from individuals in the construction industry. The technique collects combined opinions and perspectives of the participants. The responses are usually categorically coded and thematically analyzed (University of Minnesota, 2017). Documents and records is a technique that will be used to analyze existing data including databases, reports, newsletters, etc. The data collected will mainly be in relation to use of safety management in construction industry.

The data collected will be analyzed and interpreted using the following techniques: frequency distribution, descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation, correlations, and text analytics (Li, 2013). These techniques will be used to classify and code data so as to get desired findings. These data collection and analysis techniques have been selected because they have the capability to help the research collect accurate, relevant and complete data within a short period of time and with minimal resources.

This research will also present several ethical issues. Firstly, it is informed consent. All persons involved in the research will give their consent before being allowed to participate (Fouka and Mantzorou, 2011). Secondly, it is do not harm – beneficence. This ethics will ensure that the research done promotes people’s welfare and does not harm anyone either psychologically or physically (Trochim, 2008). Thirdly, it is respect for confidentiality and anonymity. The names of persons or organizations involved in the research will not be disclosed. Fourthly, it is respect for privacy. All data and information collected will only be used for the purposes of this study (Peersman, 2014). Fifthly, it is the multiple relationships. All relationships created during the research will not harm or exploit anybody or impair the professional performance of the researcher (Smith, 2003). Sixthly, it is available ethics resources. The researcher will ensure that he understands his ethical obligations ad make use of available ethics resources. These ethical considerations will help the researcher to conduct the study based on the principles of objectivity, honesty, openness, carefulness, confidentiality, social responsibility respect for colleagues and intellectual property, competence, legality and responsible publication (Resnik, 2015).

The main aim of this research is to develop more effective management strategies that can be used to improve safety in the construction industry. This can be effectively achieved by involving different stakeholders in the construction industry who have witnessed the successes and failures of safety management systems. The proposed research approach, strategy and data collection and analysis techniques are the most appropriate and effective because they will enable the researcher to collect relevant data from reliable sources and analyze it applicably so as to achieve the aim of the research. The key potential limitations include: collecting data from multiple sources, which may require more time and probably money; handling large volumes of data; comparing different views from varied sources to develop short conclusions; and possibility of some participants not cooperating. This study is expected to improve overall safety in the construction industry by helping stakeholders to know effective safety management systems and how to implement them.    

Mixed methods approach is a kind of research where the researcher combines components of quantitative and qualitative approaches, such as data collection, viewpoints, data analyses and interpretation methods for the purpose of comprehensive understanding and rationale of the research topic and questions. Timing is a very important factor when using mixed methods approach. The researcher can use concurrent, sequential or multiphase research designs. Concurrent design is where data is collected using quantitative and qualitative approaches simultaneously. Sequential design is where data collection by quantitative and qualitative approaches is done concurrently (FoodRisc Resource Centre, 2016). In multiphase design, the researcher combines both concurrent approach and sequential approach in data collection.

To use this method effectively, the researcher has to do the following: determine whether the research questions or problem merit the method; identify the theories or philosophies to be used when conducting the study; write a suitable study aim or purpose statement that fits the method; know the kind of qualitative and quantitative data necessary to achieve the study intent; justify the kind of data to be collected; understand the study’s overall intent; select the specific mixed methods design to be used; and draw the diagram of the design showing all steps from start to finish (Creswell, 2013). A typical mixed methods design diagram entails: quantitative and qualitative data collection, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, merging qualitative and quantitative results, comparing these results; interpreting the results; and explaining any divergence or convergence.      

This method is feasible mainly because the research problem and questions merit it. The method is sufficient to help the researcher understand the problem fully, explore it, explain the statistical results, ensure that qualitative and quantitative results match, improve the study by talking with relevant stakeholders and develop new construction safety management strategies by collecting qualitative and quantitative data.

The research timeline for 11 weeks thesis is as shown below

	Wk1	Wk2	Wk3	Wk4	Wk5	Wk6	Wk7	Wk8	Wk9	Wk10	Wk11
Review research topic, aim, objectives and questions
Review data collection and analysis techniques
Mobilize necessary resources
Prepare for data collection (prepare questionnaires, interview questions, travel plans, contact participants, etc.)
Meet and consult the professor(s)
Preliminary field work
Collect data
Organize, evaluate and analyze data
Prepare draft report
Submit draft report
Revise and prepare final report
Submit final report
Thesis presentation

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