Windapo, A (2013) Relationship between degree of risk, cost and level of compliance to occupational health and safety regulations in construction. Construction Economics and Building, 13(2), pp. 67-82. ISSN 2204-9029
Abstract
This paper investigates the role of statutory health and safety (H&S) regulations in managing construction project risks. The study examines whether the decision made by contractors to comply with the regulations, the cost of compliance and savings of H&S regulatory requirements is influenced by the degree or level of risk, which the regulations are trying to prevent. The rationale for the examination stems from previous studies which establish that building designers and contractors perceive the cost of complying with regulations as additional burdens, which they have to conform to, and which are in some cases unnecessary, and also the fact that construction related injuries and fatalities are on the increase. Qualitative and quantitative data obtained from a descriptive survey and H&S site audit by the Master Builder Association of the Western Cape (MBAWC) were used as the measurements of risk, level of compliance to regulations, cost of compliance and savings. By correlating the quantitative and qualitative data, there is empirical evidence to support a negative relationship between the degree of risk, level and cost of compliance and cost savings. Based on the study's findings, this paper concludes that the decision made by contractors to comply with H&S regulatory requirements is influenced by the perceived cost saving on account of compliance and that cost savings are influenced by the probability of accident occurrence which is an element of the degree of risk which the regulation is trying to prevent or control.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | accident; cost; health and safety; regulations and risk |
| Index terms: | compliance, health and safety, evidence, fatalities, regulation, injury, savings, construction project, survey, occupational health and safety, audit, designer, builder, cost saving |
| Subjects: | health risk and incident analysis, political science, practitioner, production management, evaluation and assessment methods, performance measurement, health safety and environment, data collection methods, profession, occupational health and safety management, economic analysis, economics, health conditions and diseases |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Quality Management, Roles and Professions, Business Strategy, Project Management, Governance, Health and Safety, Cost Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
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