Cost–benefit analysis of four-party construction safety supervision

Accidents are frequent in the construction industry, where managerial negligence and inadequate safety supervision are significant factors that contribute to these safety incidents. However, existing research tended to concentrate on the outcomes resulting from inadequate safety supervision but neglected the decision-making process behind insufficient supervision, which fails to fundamentally address the issue of accidents caused by insufficient supervision. To address these gaps, this study examines the key cost–benefit factors influencing safety supervision decisions among employers, contractors, supervisors, and construction workers in the Chinese construction industry. Using semistructured interviews with 49 participants and questionnaire surveys with 203 respondents, the effects of various factors on safety supervision were identified. An evolutionary game model was then employed for simulation based on the identified key factors to provide recommendations. The findings reveal 58 pivotal cost–benefit factors that influence safety-related decisions, encompassing four explicit benefits, eight implicit benefits, 35 explicit costs, and 11 implicit costs. The results indicate that implicit costs and benefits are significant factors driving safety supervision. Explicit costs are primarily driven by company or project standards, whereas implicit costs are influenced by company or employee attitudes and perceptions. Additionally, recommendations were proposed: increasing awareness of the implicit benefits of safety supervision, reducing noncritical expenditures, improving hazard awareness, and strengthening government and employer supervision. This research contributes to enriching the cost–benefit framework in construction safety supervision, shedding light on the root causes of insufficient safety supervision through a cost–benefit analysis, and implementing measures to promote safety supervision and onsite safety performance.