Oloke, D; Manase, D and Olomolaiye, P (2005) Construction health and safety (H&S) performance: A conceptual framework for enhancing information and communication technology (ICT) impacts. In: Khosrowshahi, F (ed.) Proceedings of 21st Annual ARCOM Conference, 7-9 September 2005, London, UK.
Abstract
The introduction of the Construction (Design and Management) - CDM Regulations of 1994 has significantly complimented efforts aimed at improving the health and safety performance of the industry. An Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) was developed to specifically outline responsibilities of duty holders under the five key stages of the construction process. Throughout the process, several procedures are outlined by the ACoP to ensure that all duty holders conform to the Regulations. These procedures have translated to the fact that huge volumes of paper work are usually associated with each stage of the construction process. Such a development continues to pose great challenges to an industry that is already overwhelmed by paper work. To overcome these challenges, however, several efforts have been made to provide ICT support for all stages of the process. Such efforts include those ICT tools that incorporate health and safety into construction critical path method (CPM) scheduling software and those that use navigable movies for hazard identification and safety improvement training; yet others attempt to provide solutions to hazard identification through hazard referencing. Other systems include the development of on-line health and safety file management systems; web-based pre-tender and construction stage health and safety plan development and knowledge-based system for designers. This study proposes to evaluate the current and potential impacts of ICT tools on construction H&S performance. A review of available ICT tools for health and safety management is performed and a pilot study of awareness, uptake and impacts of the tools is also envisaged. It is expected that the investigation will yield a framework for further enhancement of H&S ICT tool development, uptake and overall impacts on H&S performance.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction; framework; health and safety; ICT; performance |
| Index terms: | conceptual framework, duty, critical path method, health and safety management, construction process, investigation, regulation, knowledge-based system, hazard identification, designer, management system, health and safety, information and communication technology, scheduling |
| Subjects: | profession, contractual role, data collection methods, computing systems, operations research, artificial intelligence, management, theoretical framing, financial risk, health safety and environment, building construction, political science |
| Topics: | Digital Applications, Contract Administration, Time Control, Site Management, Organizational Design, Cost Management, Health and Safety, Research Practice, Roles and Professions, Governance |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCA |
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