Mwemezi, B. R.; Kikwasi, G. J. and Phoya, S. (2026) Development and validation of a framework for improving health and safety risk management at informal construction sites in Tanzania. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 24(2), pp. 403-426. ISSN 1726-0531
Abstract
Purpose – Although there are several established frameworks for health and safety in construction, there are inadequate health and safety conditions at informal construction sites, and no framework has been designed to address this problem. The purpose of this paper is to develop a validated framework for health and safety risk management (HSRM) in informal construction sites with the aim of supporting Sustainable Development Goals 3, 8 and 11 of the 2030 Agenda, which are to ensure everyone enjoys a healthy life and to create inclusive, secure, robust and sustainable cities and human settlements, respectively. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on HSRM questionnaire survey and interviews with construction workers working on informal construction sites in Tanzania. A total of 13 health and safety specialists in construction were specifically chosen to validate the proposed framework for HSRM in informal construction to determine its applicability, efficacy and adaptation. Findings – The validation results demonstrated that all of the suggested metrics within the framework for HSRM in informal construction scored higher than the test value, proving the framework's feasibility Originality/value – This research adds to the body of knowledge on the issue in a never-before-seen setting. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first empirical study in Tanzania to develop and validate a framework for HSRM in informal construction.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | health and safety risk management; informal construction sites; sustainable development goals; Tanzania; validated framework |
| Index terms: | methodology, survey, interview, validation, construction worker, sustainable development goal, informal construction, adaptation, risk management, questionnaire, health and safety, Tanzania, sustainable city, body of knowledge, empirical study |
| Subjects: | knowledge management, data collection methods, research methods, sustainable design, user focus, Geography, construction operations, professional development, practitioner, health safety and environment, risk assessment, urban design |
| Topics: | Risk Management, Health and Safety, Design Practice, Human Resources, Sustainability, Urban Studies, Research Practice, Geographical Context, Information Management, Roles and Professions |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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