Suraji, A; Duff, A R and Peckitt, S J (2001) Development of causal model of construction accident causation. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 127(4), pp. 337-344. ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Accidents occur in all types of construction activities. The accident causation process is complex. Accident prevention requires a comprehensive understanding of this complex process. This paper proposes a conceptual, but practical, model of accident causation for the construction industry, highlighting the underlying and complex interaction of factors in the causation process. The model describes the constraints and responses experienced by the parties involved in project conception, design, and construction, which may affect accident causation. This paper details theoretical findings of research currently being conducted at UMIST. Both proximal and distal factors are considered (for example, operative factors, site environment and systems of work, and project management and organizational issues). A study of 500 accident records provided by the U.K. Health and Safety Executive shows that accidents in construction projects involve inappropriate construction planning (28.8%), inappropriate construction control (16.6%), inappropriate construction operation (88.0%), inappropriate site condition (6.0%), and inappropriate operative action (29.9%). Data currently available are, in some respects, inadequate and will need to be supplemented, in the future, by extended accident investigations.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Index terms: | construction operation, health and safety executive, construction activity, accident investigation, construction planning, operative, project management, organizational issue, interaction, construction industry, accident prevention, construction accident, construction project |
| Subjects: | construction operations, construction planning, practitioner, business, industry analysis, behavioral psychology, environmental health, occupational health and safety management, production management, project management theory and practice |
| Topics: | Health and Safety, Project Management, Research Practice, Roles and Professions, Sustainability, Organizational Design, Site Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here