Karakhan, A A and Gambatese, J A (2017) Integrating worker health and safety into sustainable design and construction: Designer and constructor perspectives. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 143(9): 04017069, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Sustainable building design and construction is gaining rapid growth within the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry as a substantial opportunity to improve the efficiency of building projects by incorporating efficient and effective materials, technologies, and strategies into the building process. However, these approaches have been found to be associated with negative potential impact on the health and safety of field personnel. Prevention through Design (PtD) strategies are well-suited to prevent potential construction hazards in green jobs. The aim of this study is to examine the perception of construction industry professionals about incorporating PtD practices into sustainable design and construction. To gauge the perception of professionals, a survey questionnaire was developed and distributed to two construction industry groups (designers and constructors). The present study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing evidence of the level of viability and extent of implementation of PtD practices into sustainable design and construction as well as identifying prevailing barriers and potential enablers of PtD implementation in the AEC industry. The findings of this research indicate that a majority of construction industry professionals, especially designers, are resistant to the implementation of PtD practices into sustainable projects at this point in time. Fear of liability, contractual methods, and lack of safety knowledge were found to be the most prevailing barriers to the acceptance of PtD practices within the AEC industry. By contrast, ethics was regarded as the primary potential enabler for the implementation of PtD practice within the AEC industry. The authors recommend that the AEC industry move further toward collaborative project delivery methods. This transformation can facilitate a wider implementation of PtD practices within the AEC industry, especially in sustainable design and construction.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | leadership in energy and environmental design; pilot credits; prevention through design; research methods; safety risk; statistical analysis; sustainability; sustainable construction |
| Index terms: | survey, strategy, sustainable design, health and safety, sustainable construction, liability, personnel, building process, body of knowledge, evidence, questionnaire, sustainable building design, statistical analysis, designer, transformation, delivery method, ethics, environmental design, efficiency, implementation, prevention, construction industry, collaborative project |
| Subjects: | liability law, industry analysis, building construction, delivery method, design process, sustainable construction, financial risk, health safety and environment, performance management, management, contractual arrangements, knowledge management, energy systems, data science, ethical practice, sustainability and energy, business, profession, data collection methods, evaluation and assessment methods |
| Topics: | Information Management, Research Practice, Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Cost Management, Sustainability, Procurement, Roles and Professions, Human Resources, Quality Management, Design Practice, Legal Issues, Site Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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