Investigating Theories of Construction Accidents: Health and Safety

This report provides an overview of the theories related to construction accidents, emphasizing the critical role of health and safety in the construction industry. It identifies factors influencing accidents, such as unsafe personal performance, mechanical activities, and human error, drawing from literature and accident causation models. The study highlights the importance of proper safety infrastructure, root cause analysis, and compensation planning to mitigate risks. Furthermore, it discusses the significance of addressing unsafe conditions, as outlined in Ferrel's theory, and the need for occupational health and safety legislation. The research employs a descriptive design and secondary data collection to analyze the causes of workplace accidents, aiming to raise awareness among construction industry management and improve overall safety practices. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and resources for students.

Running head: SAFETY, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
What are The Theories of Construction Accidents
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

2SAFETY, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Aims.................................................................................................................................................3
Objectives........................................................................................................................................3
Research questions...........................................................................................................................3
Literature review..............................................................................................................................3
Rationale..........................................................................................................................................5
Outcomes.........................................................................................................................................5
Study design.....................................................................................................................................6
Method of investigation...................................................................................................................6
Ethical issues...................................................................................................................................7
Risk..................................................................................................................................................7
Resources.........................................................................................................................................7
Programme Diary.............................................................................................................................8
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
References......................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
Health and safety is an important part of the construction industry. In order to ensure the
health and safety in the construction industry, it is important to find out the interrelationship
between the risk factors and the safety determinants associated with the construction industry
(Guo et al. 2016). This study deals with the health and safety in the construction industry.
Aims
This current study aims to reveal the theories of construction accidents.
Objectives
 To understand the theories of construction accidents
 To identify the factors influencing construction accidents
 To analyze the importance of health and safety in the construction industry
Research questions
 What are the theories of construction accidents?
 What are the potential factors of construction accidents?
 What are the major elements that ensure the health and safety in the construction
industry?
Literature review
Construction works include hazards substances. According to the report of the National
Safety Council, approx 1000 construction workers lost their lives in the year 2000. Therefore,

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350,000 became disabled due to the workplace injury (Sousa et al. 2014). Literature shows that
maximum studies focus on the common type of accidents in the construction industry and how
these accidents take place. It has been found that most fatalities in construction industry are
occurred due to the falls. It is important for the construction industry to ensure the safety of the
workers during their work. One of the major reasons of construction accidents is the lack of
proper safety infrastructure. On the other hand, the management gives lees concern to find out
the exact reason of these accidents. In Singapore, the workplace injury rate was in 2016. This
was most prominent in the construction industry. By using the accident causation model the
researchers are tried to find out the major factors of industrial accidents (Abdelhamid and Everett
2012). Application of this model the management of the construction industry is able to carry out
the root cause analysis of the workplace injury. It has been found from various studies that
unsafe personal performance and unsafe mechanical activities are the major factors that create
accidents in construction industry (Umar and Egbu 2018).
Human error theory is another vital theory that highlights the causes of accidents in
business industry. As per this theory, human error is the main reason of accidents in the
workplace (Rameezdeen and Elmualim 2017). In construction industry, the workplace design is
also responsible to create accidents besides the unsafe characteristics of the human being.
However, in construction industry the compensation planning is crucial to ensure the workplace
safety in this industry. In order to ensure the safety in the workplace, it is important for the
construction industry to identify the unsafe condition. According to the Ferrel theory, unsafe
condition of the workplace includes hazards substances and harmful equipment, which cause
injury in the workplace. This theory reveals such unsafe condition is occurred due to the human
error. Therefore, human error is driven by three factors include overload, improper activity, and

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incorrect response. ARCTM is a major construction model, which focuses on the root cause
analysis of the occupational accidents. This root cause analysis shows that often the construction
industry fails to identify the unsafe condition, which creates accidents in the workplace (Irumba
2014). To deal with these unsafe condition occupational health and safety legislation needs to be
taken in this industry. Apart from this proper design of the workplace and replacement of the old
equipment are vital.
Rationale
Workplace accident is a major issue of the construction industry. However, the workers
often face major injury and some death occurs due to the unsafe environment in this industry.
This workplace accident is a major issue as it affects the brand image of the industry and leads
them to face legal issue (Zhou et al. 2015). In the recent years, occupational accidents become
increasing rapidly in the construction industry, which needs the concern of the management. This
current proposal is significant to highlights the major causes of workplace accidents in the
construction industry. This will create awareness among the management of the construction
industry. Therefore, this study will be helpful to increase the knowledge regarding the health and
safety in the construction industry. Therefore, the management of this industry will be able to
carry out the root cause analysis of the factors that cause accidents.
Outcomes
This current study is helpful to increase the knowledge regarding the health and safety in
the workplace. It will help the individuals to improve them personally and professionally by
acquiring the knowledge regarding the occupational safety. The individual can improve their
existing skill and ensure the workplace health and safety in the construction industry.

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Study design
The type of the study is the research proposal, which will give an in-depth knowledge to
the individual regarding the occupational safety in the construction industry. However, the
design of the study is another vital area of the research proposal. The design includes research
philosophy, research approach, and research design. In this study, positivism philosophy,
deductive approach and descriptive research design will be selected. Descriptive design will help
the researcher to evaluate the research variables and the findings in a proper way (Mackey and
Gass 2015). In this study, secondary data will be collected. For this purpose, the online articles,
journals, and websites are used to. Secondary data provides authentic information regarding the
research topic.
Method of investigation
This study will include secondary data collection process to gather data. However, the
secondary data collection method will be carried out by reviewing the online journal articles and
government websites. In order to collect valid and reliable data, secondary data collection
process is effective (Flick 2015). In this current study, on-line research will be taken to collect
data from different online sources. Inclusion and exclusion criteria will be used to select relevant
journals from the databases. In order to analyze the data statistical test will be conducted in this
study. However, the co-relational test will be taken to identify the associations between the
variables.

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Ethical issues
The researcher needs to keep the information confidential that will be collected for the
study. For example, the researcher needs to protect the information of those organizations, which
are investigated to collect the data. It is important to follow the Data Protection Act while
gathering any personal information or organizational statistics for the research (Guo et al. 2016).
Moreover, proper citation is required during the data analysis and no manipulation can take
place.
Risk
Some risks are associated with this research proposal. The researcher needs to ensure the
health and safety while visiting the construction industry to collect data (Sousa et al. 2015). It is
important for the researcher to gather knowledge regarding the health and safety while collecting
data in a construction industry. The researcher needs to follow health and safety policy while
visiting the construction industry.
Resources
Particulars Cost Total Cost
Travel cost $125 $350
Online paid article cost $75
Others research cost $150
Table 1: Resources of the research
(Source: Author)

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From the above calculation, it has been received that the researcher needs to invest in
traveling, research and other vital areas, which are essential for the investigation. Paid journal
articles and travel cost are the major resources of this investigation.
Programme Diary
Outline of the work plan
Research
initiatives
1st to 3rd weeks 3rd to 5th weeks 5th to 8th weeks 8th to 10th
weeks
10th to 12
weeks
Establishment of
research
objectives
Reviewing the
literature
Collection of
authentic data
through
secondary data
collection
Analysis of the
gathered data
Anticipated
findings

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Figure 1: Outline of the work plan
(Source: Author)
Conclusion
The entire study reveals that the workplace accidents in the context of construction
industry. It has been received that unsafe environment is the major reasons of the accidents in
this industry. Therefore, by following human error theory and accident causation model this
industry will be able to carry out the root cause analysis of this problem. Therefore, this study
will include secondary data collection method to gather authentic data regarding the occupational
safety of construction industry.

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References
Abdelhamid, T.S. and Everett, J.G., 2012. Identifying root causes of construction accidents.
Journal of construction engineering and management, 126(1), pp.52-60.
Flick, U., 2015. Introducing research methodology: A beginner's guide to doing a research
project. Sage.
Guo, B.H., Yiu, T.W. and González, V.A., 2016. Predicting safety behavior in the construction
industry: Development and test of an integrative model. Safety science, 84, pp.1-11.
Guo, B.H., Yiu, T.W. and González, V.A., 2016. Predicting safety behavior in the construction
industry: Development and test of an integrative model. Safety science, 84, pp.1-11.
Irumba, R., 2014. Spatial analysis of construction accidents in Kampala, Uganda. Safety Science,
64, pp.109-120.
Mackey, A. and Gass, S.M., 2015. Second language research: Methodology and design.
Routledge.
Rameezdeen, R. and Elmualim, A., 2017. The impact of heat waves on occurrence and severity
of construction accidents. International journal of environmental research and public health,
14(1), p.70.
Sousa, V., Almeida, N.M. and Dias, L.A., 2014. Risk-based management of occupational safety
and health in the construction industry–Part 1: Background knowledge. Safety science, 66, pp.75-
86.

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Sousa, V., Almeida, N.M. and Dias, L.A., 2015. Risk-based management of occupational safety
and health in the construction industry–Part 2: Quantitative model. Safety science, 74, pp.184-
194.
Umar, T. and Egbu, C., 2018. Causes of construction accidents in Oman. Middle East Journal of
Management, 5(1), pp.21-33.
Zhou, Z., Goh, Y.M. and Li, Q., 2015. Overview and analysis of safety management studies in
the construction industry. Safety science, 72, pp.337-350.