Smallwood, J J and Emuze, F (2016) Factors that promote zero fatalities, injuries, and disease in construction. In: Chan, P W and Neilson, C J (eds.) Proceedings of 32nd Annual ARCOM Conference, 5-7 September 2016, Manchester, UK.
Abstract
This study explores the 'holy grail' of health and safety (H&S) - zero fatalities, injuries, and disease! Although, the logic of pursuing such a goal is obvious, there are many 'non-believers' in the sense that they do not believe it is achievable. However, the literature indicates that such a goal is an integral part of H&S culture, and is complementary to the vision of fatality, injury, and disease free construction. Furthermore, it is the only 'transparent' goal. A study conducted among workers' compensation insurance rebate award recipients determined the following: subscription to such a goal is an integral part of H&S culture, and a pre-requisite for optimum H&S performance; such a goal is achievable, and there are a range of complementary interventions such as optimum resourcing of H&S, management commitment, participation, and involvement, and optimum H&S training.Conclusions and recommendations include: optimum H&S and the achievement of zero fatalities, injuries, and disease requires a goal of zero fatalities, injuries, and disease; industry H&S programmes must focus on H&S culture; contractors must be enlightened in terms of the need to subscribe to such a goal, and the complementary interventions, and case studies that document the achievement of zero fatalities, injuries, and disease must be conducted.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction; fatalities; health and safety; injuries; zero |
| Index terms: | programme, insurance, case study, compensation, fatalities, commitment, injury, health and safety |
| Subjects: | psychology, dispute resolution, health safety and environment, economic analysis, data collection methods, health conditions and diseases, project controls, health risk and incident analysis |
| Topics: | Legal Issues, Time Control, Organizational Design, Health and Safety, Research Practice, Business Strategy |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 CE |
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