Shohet, I M; Wei, H H; Skibniewski, M J; Tak, B and Revivi, M (2019) Integrated communication, control, and command of construction safety and quality. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 145(9): 04019051, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Two critical factors that site managers have to control during construction are safety and quality. We envisage that the emergence of information and communications technology (ICT) systems is of great use in effectively promoting safety and quality and exploiting the synergy between these two disciplines. The objectives of this research were to investigate the relationship between safety and quality through the application of ICT. A system of key safety and quality performance indicators was compiled in order to evaluate the potential benefits. Safety and quality leading indicators were recorded prior to and after intervention process using a mobile application for communication, control, and command of construction of safety and quality (C4). The results observed in the pilot study showed an improvement of 30% in quality and a reduction of 90% in unsafe activities during the implementation phase. These differences were tested using Student's t-test and found to be statistically significant at the level of 0.99. Integrated safety and quality leading indicators contributed to enhanced safety and quality and had a potential improvement of up to 90% in construction quality and up to 30% in construction safety. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge of the high potential of integrated quality and safety leading indicators in construction.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | communication; control; mobile technology; quality; safety |
| Index terms: | construction safety, body of knowledge, construction quality, emergence, site manager, quality performance, implementation, synergy, mobile technology, communications technology, mobile application, critical factor |
| Subjects: | systems engineering, quality assurance, environmental health, partnership management, practitioner, risk assessment, knowledge management, contractual arrangements, innovation and technology management, project delivery, digital technology |
| Topics: | Procurement, Sustainability, Risk Management, Stakeholder Management, Roles and Professions, Information Management, Engineering Principles, Quality Management, Digital Applications |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
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