Systematic approach to crane-related near-miss analysis in the construction industry

The use of near-miss management systems in construction is relatively new and has not been fully explored or understood. Near misses have not been investigated in a systematic perspective that will enable an analysis from a given set of reported incidents. This research effort suggests a systematic approach to near-miss analysis and concentrates on tower-crane-related near-miss events due to the centrality of tower cranes in nowadays construction and their potential as hazard generators on construction sites. The study began with an extensive effort to collect stories of safety events, including near misses and accidents. An exploratory research method was then implemented in developing a comprehensive database of crane-related accidents and near-miss events. The database classifies each event using a set of encoded variables that disclose event definition, crane status, activity, main incident factor and more. The applicability of the database is demonstrated by providing support to the notion of cause commonality between accidents and near misses, an issue that has been studied in the context of other industries. Further investigation into the causal factors preventing near misses from developing into full-scale accidents provided an important insight on the benefit of near-miss investigations.