Hon, C K H; Chan, A P C and Yam, M C H (2012) Empirical study to investigate the difficulties of implementing safety practices in the repair and maintenance sector in Hong Kong. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 138(7), pp. 877-884. ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Repair, maintenance, minor alteration, and addition work (RMAA) has become more and more important in developed societies, but its safety performance is alarming. For example, RMAA projects accounted for 53.2% of the total construction market and the percentage of RMAA accidents to all construction accidents in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) increased considerably in 2007. The RMAA sector has a huge potential for safety improvement. This study aims to explore and evaluate the difficulties of implementing safety practices in RMAA work. The mixed methods approach was adopted, and semistructured interviews and a two-round Delphi survey were conducted for the data collection. Major difficulties were identified, including limited safety resources for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), difficulty in changing the mindset of RMAA workers, and difficulty in performing safety supervision. These obstacles for implementing safety practices in the RMAA sector, if successfully removed, could significantly improve the safety performance of the RMAA sector and the construction industry as a whole.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | accidents; Hong Kong; injuries; occupational safety |
| Index terms: | Hong Kong, mixed method, Delphi survey, occupational safety, construction industry, supervision, construction market, empirical study, mindset, interview, injury, society, repair, safety performance, construction accident |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, control systems, health behaviours and lifestyles, health conditions and diseases, market analysis, occupational health and safety management, industry analysis, communities and social development, maintenance engineering, research methods, Geography |
| Topics: | Stakeholder Management, Geographical Context, Project Management, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Health and Safety |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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