Lingard, H and Wakefield, R (2013) A voluntary approach to designing for safer construction. Proceedings of Institution of Civil Engineers: Management, Procurement and Law, 166(5), pp. 249-259. ISSN 17514312
Abstract
Preventing occupational health and safety hazards through design is consistent with the principle that occupational health and safety is best managed by eliminating hazards at their 'source' rather than reducing risks that eventuate in the workplace. In 2007, an industry-initiated research and development project was undertaken in Australia to identify and document best practices used in the management of occupational health and safety in the construction industry, resulting in the publication of a Guide to Best Practice for Safer Construction. The project was a whole industry effort to identify occupational health and safety 'best practices' through the project life cycle. The guide provides an industryagreed framework for clients, designers and constructors, with an emphasis on cooperation, communication and reaching consensus about a reasonable allocation of responsibility for occupational health and safety in a given project situation. Four years since the publication of the guide, the implementation of the design stage best practices is examined. Three case study projects (a large road construction project, a desalination plant and a high-rise building project) are used to illustrate the practical impact of considering the occupational health and safety of construction workers in design decision-making in accordance with the 'safer construction' principles contained in the guide.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | buildings, structures & design; design methods and aids; safety & hazards |
| Index terms: | construction industry, implementation, construction worker, design method, best practice, desalination, road construction, life cycle, designer, Australia, case study, cooperation, high-rise building, design decision, publication, research and development, design stage, occupational health and safety |
| Subjects: | construction type, research dissemination and communication, practitioner, psychology, contractual arrangements, professional practice, Geography, research management, business, profession, data collection methods, value management, design methods, civil engineering, design practice, water management, occupational health and safety management, industry analysis |
| Topics: | Design Practice, Organizational Design, Research Practice, Information Management, Business Strategy, Construction Technology, Roles and Professions, Geographical Context, Project Management, Engineering Principles, Health and Safety, Procurement, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
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