SRR720 - Construction Research Frontiers: Safety Management Proposal

This document presents a comprehensive research proposal focusing on construction safety management. The proposal begins with an abstract summarizing the study's objectives, which is to evaluate safety management practices and regulations in the construction industry to mitigate risks. The proposal includes an opening statement emphasizing the significance of safety in construction, followed by a detailed discussion of research significance, scope, and a literature review covering health and safety in construction, safety management, construction practices, and accident causes. The proposal outlines the aim and objectives, methods including a deductive approach, research design, data sources, and analysis techniques. A timeline for the research is provided, along with a thesis outline. The study aims to identify the key trends of safety, and the inclusion of all these research elements will quite the scope of the research as it will help the study to answer different questions related to the study of risk management in construction industries. The document addresses the importance of safety assessment in construction sites to enable a sound working environment for construction employees. The research is designed to explore the implications of safety and the identification of the different perspectives of risk. The research is also intended to find out how safety management practices are being implemented and are perceived by the industry.

Running head: CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH FRONTIERS
SRR720-Construction research frontiers
Assignment 3
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note:

2
CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH FRONTIERS
Table of Contents
1. Abstract...............................................................................................................................4
2. The Proposal.......................................................................................................................4
A. An Opening Statement................................................................................................4
B. Research Significance and Scope................................................................................5
Significance of the Research..................................................................................................5
Scope of the Research............................................................................................................6
Literature Review.......................................................................................................................7
Introduction............................................................................................................................7
Health and Safety in construction..........................................................................................8
Safety Management in Construction......................................................................................9
Benefits of client, contractor and the construction workers in presence of safety
management.........................................................................................................................11
Construction practices to be implemented...........................................................................12
Accidents which occurs in the construction industry...........................................................13
C. Aim & Objectives.........................................................................................................14
D. Methods.........................................................................................................................15
Introduction..........................................................................................................................15
Research Approach..............................................................................................................15
Justification of use of the Deductive Approach...................................................................16
Research Design...................................................................................................................16

3
CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH FRONTIERS
Justification for selection of the Research Design...............................................................17
Research Sources/Data Sources...........................................................................................17
Justification for selection of the Research Sources/Data Sources.......................................18
Research Analysis................................................................................................................18
E. Timeline............................................................................................................................19
Table No 1: Timeline Table.................................................................................................19
3. Thesis Outline......................................................................................................................20
A. Introduction & Background............................................................................................20
B. Method.............................................................................................................................20
C. Background......................................................................................................................20
D. Discussion.......................................................................................................................20
E. Conclusion.......................................................................................................................21
F. Reference List...................................................................................................................22

4
CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH FRONTIERS
1. Abstract
The following study deals with the evaluation of the safety management and the rules
and regulations that are prescribed by the business organization to be implemented in the
construction workplaces. Risk and construction are two terms that goes hand in hand. The
construction industry is the industry where the workers face huge risks that need to be
addressed in the most proper and effective manner in order to avoid any kind of mishaps. The
risk rate is huge in the construction industry as the workers can even face serious injuries and
in most cases these injuries are fatal. The research has also highlighted a part of a popular
American Survey which has stated that on an average about two construction workers die
each and every day in different construction sites of the USA. The complex tasks in the
construction industry makes the industry, the most vulnerable to risks. Majority of the
modern societies strongly opposes to such a dangerous situation in the construction industry
and does not allow the people to work in such conditions. There are a large number of
different factors that are said to be the main reasons behind the cause of such dangerous
accidents in the construction industry. High level of the accidents generally occur due to
faulty planning, lack of safe design, construction problems, traditional junk equipment usage,
poor designs, poor communication and many other similar problems. The following work has
been created to address the importance of the safety management and its use in the business
organizations that ply their trade in the business construction industry.
2. The Proposal
A. An Opening Statement
Safety is one of the most important considerations in the construction industry. A large
number of people across the globe are involved in construction activities. As because the
construction industry involves high risk fatal activities, therefore the project managers and
the management of the construction industries and different projects have to ensure the safety

5
CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH FRONTIERS
and the security of the workers in the most effective manner. The last few years especially the
last 20 years have seen a large number of different changes in the practice of the construction
activities (Zhou Goh and Li 2015). The types of the different kinds of the construction
projects, the manner in which these projects are delivered and the different types of the tools
used in the communication process all have changed dramatically. Therefore the contractors
of the different kinds of the construction projects must have a fully integrated and extensive
construction safety program that are useful for the evolution of the construction industry.
Safety management can be termed as one of the most important knowledge as far the
management of the construction projects are concerned. According to, Tay et al. (2017) the
management of safety procedures is important for the business as because it helps the
construction managers to identify all the different risks of the business and also to address
these risks in the most proper and effective manner. The address of the risks in a proper and
efficient manner is important for the construction project to be successful in nature. The
health and safety of different types of the construction sites are very much crucial for the
prevention of the different kinds of risks that can hamper the project. The following report
has addressed the importance of safety assessment in the construction sites to enable a sound
working environment for the construction employees.
B. Research Significance and Scope
Significance of the Research
Safety concerns have always been paramount in the construction industry. The sites of
construction are complex working environments, as workers from a multiple number of
trades comes forward to interact in such challenging physical environments. The recent
efforts to improve the safety of the construction sites is one of the most important changes
that happened in the last two decades. The undertaking of the construction safety guidelines
and the strict implementation of the rules practically has helped the construction companies

6
CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH FRONTIERS
to drastically reduce construction accidents. According to different kinds of surveys, the
accidents has reduced by a whopping 45% which is surely a commendable achievement. The
improvement of safety thus remains to be one of the greatest challenges of the construction
industry at te recent times.
The issue of improving the safety of the workers and provide an accident free industry
has been one of the most important industry needs for decades. This particular time is termed
as the most exciting times as because it provides opportunities to examine how the safety
management practices are being implemented and are perceived by the industry. It is also
important to evaluate on how the safety programs for the construction site workers are being
used by the industry. The different kinds of the changes in the construction industry has
helped the management of the construction projects to ensure the safety of the workers and
also ensure an accident free environment. The use of the modern tools and the application of
the scientific practices have really helped in the change behind the organizational
perspectives. The study of the new age models of safety and the use of the new trends and
tools in safety management signifies the importance of the research to be undertaken in the
future.
Scope of the Research
The research will be involving the study of the risks in construction and the way the
modern construction industries take care of the risk management. The issue of the
improvement of safety and how to manage the safety procedures will be provided in the
following research. The implications of the safety, the identification of the key trends of
safety and the identification of the different perspectives of risk will be the major elements
that will be included in the research. The selection of all these elements and the discussion of
these elements in a proper and connected manner will be the major characteristics of the
research. The inclusion of all these research elements will quite the scope of the research as it

7
CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH FRONTIERS
will help the study to answer different questions related to the study of risk management in
construction industries. The increase in the scope of the research and the inclusion of all the
major perspectives makes the research quite interesting and attractive to the readers. Though
there has been research conducted on the same subject, the inclusion of the major
perspectives has helped to increase the scope of the project.
Literature Review
Introduction
The importance of the improvement of the safety features is one of the most prime
concern for the management of the construction industries. Some of the major trends that
generally have implications for the safety of the workers. The changes in the construction
industry have large scale implications to the site safety of the industries. The rising trends in
the site safety include the use of the new and unfamiliar products and technologies that are
proving to be successful enough for the business organizations to carry on the construction
projects in a proper and effective manner (Tay et al. 2017). For example there has been an
increase in the use of the different kinds of the multifunctional mobile tools. The use of these
multifunctional mobile tools offers new and developed ways to bring safety information to
the jobsite workers and also need to be deployed effectively in ways that contributes to the
productivity and enhance business communication. The construction industry is mainly
determined to give importance to the safety features and implement safe management
practices that are able to answer the different kinds of the organization demands. However,
the implementation of the safety features and the formulation of the action plan to tackle risks
differ from organization to organization depending on the size of the business accordingly
(Sousa Almeida and Dias 2014). The investments made in the installation of the different
kinds of the safety features is further more important just because of the profit aspects that it
provides to the business investors. The investment in the safety training procedures of the

8
CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH FRONTIERS
construction business can be highly productive and profitable. It can also improve the
reputation of the company and engage a capable firm leadership which in turn will help to
address the strong safety program. The presence of a strong safety program can be said to be
a critical aspect of the construction firm’s competitiveness which can help increase the
improvement in the safety features.
Health and Safety in construction
Each and every year a number of construction workers are either killed or injured as a
result of their work; others suffer ill health; like musculoskeletal diseases, bone disorders,
dermatitis and asbestosis (Salanova et al. 2016). These kind of hazards are however not only
limited to the people working in the construction sites. Most of the children and other people
in the public are open to such kind of diseases and disorders that tend to take a toll on their
health. The improvement in the performance of the construction industry in the last few years
have ensured the presence of the different kinds of the safety features and a steady yet long
term improvement process (Salanova et al. 2016). The steady yet long term improvement
process helps the management of the construction industries to address the different kinds of
the problems within the industry in an organized and proper manner. Though there has been
significant reduction of accidents and a healthy revival of the safety features, the management
of the construction industries must not take anything for granted and must ensure the success
of the business in the most effective manner. It is important for the management to not take
anything lightly as because accidents can happen at any moment of time. Such kind of
accidents can hamper the industry and make the workplace unsafe for the construction
workers (Raymond 2016). Health and Safety of the organization is one of the most important
in the construction business and it has helped the organization to ensure the success of the
business in the most efficient manner. The construction industry do not have a healthy record
in health and safety. The construction workers are often exposed to a number of different

9
CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH FRONTIERS
health hazards. The exposure to harsh conditions and health problems can be challenging for
the workers. Some of the main health hazards faced by the workers of the construction
industry are as follows;
a. Asbestos- The workers in the construction industry have to often work with asbestos
which is considered to be one of the most hazardous metals. Such exposure can be
harmful for the workers as they seem to cause serious respiratory diseases like that of
cancer or asbestosis.
b. Chemicals- The workers in the construction industries are often exposed to harmful
chemicals like solvents, cements and many other such different chemicals that are
solely responsible for the ill health of the business workers.
c. Noise and Vibration- High noise levels and vibration caused from the use of the
different machineries can cause serious harm to the hearing power of the employees.
There has been serious cases when the employees working in the construction sector
had problems with hearing and also develops injuries to the internal blood vessels that
tend to stay for the rest of the life.
d. Manual Labour- The manual handling of the chemicals, lifting of heavy loads can
harm the health of the individuals as they will develop different problems related to
the same. The presence of the manual labour leads to a large number of different
issues in the construction industry.
Therefore it can be ascertained that safety management process is one of the most
important process in the construction management process and helps any kind of construction
activities to ensure the safety and security of the workers working in the construction
industry.

10
CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH FRONTIERS
Safety Management in Construction
The safety management in construction is a complex process and involves taking the
different steps in order to manage safety and ensure success in the construction industry.
Safety management is an essential knowledge in the construction projects. Safety
management in construction projects is expected to take account of all the different kinds of
the risks and the accidents that may put the lives of the construction workers at risk.
According to, Raviv Shapira and Fishbain (2017) the health and safety of the construction
workplace must be in line with the different types of the activities and strategies of the
companies involved in the construction management. The safety management can be said to
be a certain procedure that is involved in the recognition of the different kinds of the risks
that and implement different kinds of the actions to decrease the possibility of the risk
materializing and to diminish or eliminate the potential risks involved in the construction
sector.
Different kinds of accidents can occur during the construction process and they are
defined as an undesired event that results into physical harm of the people or any kind of
damage to the property. On the other hand according to, Salanova et al. (2016) the accidents
can occur during construction activities as because the construction activities involve a
number of risky tasks that can be defined as an undesired event that can lead to physical harm
to people or cause damage to the property. Accidents during the construction process can lead
to a number of different injuries, work site fatalities and can also lead to different kinds of
lifelong injuries. Accidents can include the likes of fall from height, stuck by a large
machinery or vehicle, trapped by something, overload during carrying the different goods and
many more as such. Unsafe worksite conditions and the absence of proper inspection are
believed to be the main reasons for the cause of the onsite accidents. Such kinds of the
accidents generally take a toll on the construction industry as it hampers the production of the

11
CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH FRONTIERS
construction industry. Therefore safety management is one of the most important process that
is undertaken by the management of the business organizations to ensure the absence of any
kind of accidents during the implementation of the construction process. The work accidents
generally occur by means of the two main mechanisms which includes the likes of unsafe
workplace conditions and unsafe acts. The implementation of the safety management
principles thus helps the organization to avoid the risks in construction.
Benefits of client, contractor and the construction workers in presence of safety
management
Construction places have long been accepted by the public as one of the most
hazardous workplaces. In spite of the presence of the establishment and enactment of the
different kinds of the safety laws and regulations in the past decades, the industry has been
trying harder to stop the decay for the last few years (Salanova et al. 2016). The majority of
the safety issues and the rules are nowadays not borne alone by the contractors but the
workers must also contribute to the organizational safety procedures. The management of the
construction organizations had the tendency to shift the responsibilities of the problems and
the issues to other third parties. However, the implementation of the strict laws and
regulations of the present day has helped the workers to make sure that they receive a safe
and secured workplace environment (Rowlinson 2018). The relationship between the project
safety performance and the influence of the client was examined by means of the particular
emphasis on the selection of the safety minded contractors, contractual safety requirements
along with the client’s proactive role in the safety management. Clients can easily achieve a
better and enhanced project safety performances by setting a number of safety objectives and
also by participating in the safety management process during the period of or managing the
construction project.

12
CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH FRONTIERS
The clients can actively impact the construction safety by selecting reliable
contractors, addressing the different kinds of the safety issues and also by addressing the
different kinds of the reality, clients through the different project representatives and other
client based activities. These kind of activities are important for the success of the
construction industry as it helps to avoid any kind of risks during the work of the construction
project. All the three different parties involved in the construction sector can benefit from the
implementation of the client safety rules that are implemented by the business organization.
The workers, the management of the construction organizations along with the clients can
easily benefit from the implementation of the rules in a proper and effective manner.
Construction practices to be implemented
The contractor safety management generally comprises of a number of different types
of the organizational demand that depends on the vital component for the management of the
outsourced workforce, particularly as owners and the operators (Rowlinson 2018). The
owners as well as the operators are faced with the additional process and personnel safety
regulations and standards which are both internal as well as external in nature. The
management of the construction companies has to implement some of the basic construction
guidelines that can be beneficial for the success of the business in a proper and efficient
manner. Some of the different tasks that are undertaken by the management of the business
organization includes the likes of;
a. Aligned goals of safety, different programs and the different kinds of the
motivations between the different parties of the business
b. Standard processes and procedures
c. Consistent metrics for the success
d. Lower rate of turnover and its impact on cost schedule