Shapira, A; Simcha, M and Goldenberg, M (2012) Integrative model for quantitative evaluation of safety on construction sites with tower cranes. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 138(11), pp. 1281-1293. ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
The gradual disappearance of traditional borderlines between equipment cultures and the increasing use of tower cranes as today's dominant building construction equipment result in exposure to safety issues concerning tower crane operation that have not yet been fully addressed. This paper proposes a model capable of computing an overall index that realistically reflects the safety level on any individual site due to the operation of tower cranes. The model integrates four modules: (1) nonsite-specific relative weights of safety factors, (2) measurement of the magnitude of each safety factor actually present on site, (3) scales to convert each measured magnitude into a value representing the potential risk generated by each factor present on site, and (4) multiplying factors to convert the cumulative risk generated by all factors into actual risk. The model was computerized and tested on two construction sites and the user interface for company and site data gathering was validated. The development of the model builds on expert judgment and as such, its potential application in other construction cultures would require due adjustments, which are made possible by its modular architecture and content transparency.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction safety; construction sites; crane operation; quantitative evaluation; safety index; safety management; tower cranes |
| Index terms: | construction site, tower crane, construction safety, exposure, computing, safety management, safety factor, building construction, judgment, transparency, module, user interface, safety issue |
| Subjects: | building construction, professional development, architectural elements, human-computer interaction, financial risk, environmental health, maintenance engineering, occupational health and safety management, computing systems, public and environmental health, dispute resolution, work location |
| Topics: | Sustainability, Construction Technology, Health and Safety, Information Management, Business Strategy, Design Practice, Legal Issues, Cost Management, Digital Applications, Engineering Principles, Site Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
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