Dewlaney, K S and Hallowell, M (2012) Prevention through design and construction safety management strategies for high performance sustainable building construction. Construction Management and Economics, 30(2), pp. 165-177. ISSN 1466433X
Abstract
Recent studies have found that Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) buildings have a higher injury rate than traditional non-LEED buildings and that 12 of the LEED credits increase risks for construction workers. The objective was to identify and describe risk mitigation strategies that reduce the safety risk associated with the design and construction of high performance sustainable projects by conducting extensive interviews with experienced designers and constructors. Fortunately, feasible prevention techniques through design and construction safety management strategies exist and can be used to mitigate the safety risk associated with the design features and means and methods of construction used to achieve LEED certification. Most commonly, designers and contractors identified prefabrication, effective site layout and alternative products as methods to prevent injuries that specifically relate to the hazards of each sustainable element. The results of the interviews and results from previous research were organized into a decision support tool built in Adobe LiveCycle. Practitioners may use the findings and the tool to enhance safety for construction workers, an aspect of sustainability that is not currently addressed in the LEED Program. Researchers may also use the techniques described as a starting point for lifecycle safety analyses for sustainable buildings.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | design for safety; LEED; safety; sustainability |
| Index terms: | design and construction, sustainable building, safety management, certification, prevention, design for safety, risk mitigation, designer, construction worker, practitioner, program, site layout, strategy, environmental design, lifecycle, decision support, injury, prefabrication, interview |
| Subjects: | site logistics, practitioner, data collection methods, health conditions and diseases, profession, sustainability and energy, occupational health and safety management, building construction, sustainable construction, decision analysis, software systems, management, project delivery, financial risk, contractual arrangements, administrative processes, health safety and environment |
| Topics: | Construction Technology, Health and Safety, Project Management, Contract Administration, Site Management, Business Strategy, Procurement, Cost Management, Design Practice, Research Practice, Digital Applications, Risk Management, Roles and Professions, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
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