Construction remains the most hazardous industry in the United States in terms of the aggregate number of fatalities. Twenty percent of all occupational related fatalities occur in construction; approximately three construction workers die per calendar day. Moreover, this trend has been prevalent for too long. One method to reduce this trend is to involve architects and design engineers in considering construction safety during the design process. The concept of designing for construction safety is a viable intervention to improve worker safety. However, in the United States many barriers (legal, contractual, regulatory) exist that prevent this intervention from becoming part of a standard practice within the construction industry. Four-hundred and fifty construction accidents from two databases were analyzed and a link to the design for construction safety concept was determined. An objective investigation model was developed to make these determinations. A significant link between the concept of designing for construction safety and construction fatalities and disabling injuries was established. Specific construction project parameters linked to the concept of designing for construction safety include the minimization of risk due to falls through and from roofs, skylights and structural steel construction; and the minimization of risk due of contact with electric and other utilities. It is recommended that the concept of designing for construction safety be considered by regulatory agencies, insurance companies, and the United States' construction industry as one intervention of a comprehensive safety agenda to reduce the disproportionate number of fatalities and disabling injuries. / Graduation date: 2005

The construction industry remains a pillar in the South African economy, generating employment and wealth. Nonetheless, the industry is reportedly bedevilled by a high rate of accidents and serious injuries that often lead to permanent deformation and fatalities among workers and the general public. These accidents and injuries manifest due to poor construction health and safety (H&S) performance that is often related to poor H&S leadership of the key project leaders involved in the construction business. Shortcomings pertain to client leadership in terms of involvement and commitment to H&S and project H&S related decisions of professionals (designers, project managers, quantity surveyors and engineers). They also pertain to contractor related aspects such as H&S management systems and leadership at all levels of management. In addition, contractors’ inadequacies of H&S management relative to workplace planning and materials related issues have continued to marginalise H&S performance in construction. The H&S leadership of key project leaders is very important in creating a culture of H&S in the workplace. This study examined the H&S management practices and leadership of the key project leaders that contribute to at-risk work practices or unsafe behaviour of workers. Presently, there is limited or no research in South African construction on how the H&S leadership of the key project leaders contributes to at-risk work practices or unsafe behaviour of workers. The methodology employed in the study included an extensive review of relevant literature, which enabled the field work to proceed unhindered. The quantitative survey and qualitative inquiry was conducted with the key construction participants in South African construction. Focus group discussions and interviews were used in a complementary manner. Accordingly, the sampling technique for the study comprised simple random and purposive sampling. The study revealed apparent poor leadership and lack of involvement and commitment to workers’ H&S by the key project leaders. Notably, there is statistical evidence of poor H&S management practices among contractors in terms of top management commitment to and involvement in project H&S. This statistical evidence includes poor H&S education and training of workers and lack of workers’ involvement and participation in H&S matters, which is the tenet of behaviour-based H&S anagement. The model of leadership influence on worker H&S behaviour developed in this research constitutes an innovative contribution to construction H&S performance improvement through a leadership-focused approach. The study has established a basic level of awareness and understanding among key project leaders in that their upstream decisions during the project planning and construction phases have significant influence on workers’ safe or unsafe behaviour or at-risk work practices. The study strongly advocates transparent leadership, ethical behaviour among clients in public and private sectors, designers’ critical H&S decisions, project managers’ and quantity surveyors’ commitment towards project H&S and contractors’ adoption and implementation of behaviour-based H&S management systems. The developed leadership influence model of worker H&S behaviour in the study provides a useful guide for the key project leaders to realise the desired H&S performance improvement in the South African construction industry.

The construction industry produces a high rate of accident statistics. Constructors are exposed to a range of construction hazards and risks which manifest themselves in accidents and lead to a high incidence of illnesses, injuries and fatalities. Despite evidence that up to 50 percent of construction accidents can be avoided through mitigation of hazards and risks in the design phase of construction projects, architectural designers do not adequately engage in designing for construction health, safety, and ergonomics. The research localises the problem in the context of South Africa and sets out to develop an architectural design oriented model toward a reduction of construction hazards and risks, which can be engendered through optimisation of tertiary architectural education and through continuing professional development (CPD) programmes. The ultimate aim is to realise a paradigm shift in architectural design relative to construction health, safety, and ergonomics as architectural designers in South Africa still view it as the constructor’s responsibility. The research intertwined a range of secondary data with four provisional studies undertaken in the Eastern Cape Province considered representative of South Africa. This involved both quantitative and qualitative methodologies and were directed at architectural designers registered with the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP). The provisional studies were published in international conference proceedings and served to gradually provide local insight, and ultimately provided a line of structured questions for use in the main study. The main study was positioned in the action research (AR) paradigm and used focus group (FG) methodology to solicit a vast richness of qualitative data from SACAP registered architectural designers who participated in the FG proceedings. Synthesis of data with literature and the provisional studies gave rise to a provisional model comprising six main model components and a range of sub-components. The provisional model was validated and refined while simultaneously testing the research hypotheses by means of questionnaires directed at the SACAP registered FG participants. The evolved model includes a core model embedded in a greater process model, and implementation and use of the core model relies on appropriate knowledge of architectural designers. It is ultimately recommended that tertiary architectural education institutions and those involved in architectural CPD programmes take ‘upstream design ownership’ and use the model as a basis for designing and implementing appropriate tertiary architectural programmes and architectural CPD offerings. Ultimately the model is not considered as a complete means to an end, and further investigation is needed in order to design and implement the recommended programmes. Only then can we begin to realise a paradigm shift in architectural thinking and practice.

published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Master / Master of Science in Construction Project Management

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering, 2016 / Eskom is a state owned enterprise that generates, transmits and distributes electricity to various sectors. Hence, it supports South Africa’s growth and development aspirations by constructing new electricity infrastructure. This can be achieved by adopting safety, health, environmental and quality (SHEQ) management as a business imperative. Presently, there have been a number of incidents and accidents at some construction sites of the Eskom distribution sector in the Mpumalanga province, which are mainly due to non-compliance with construction health and safety. This research project aims to determine the compliance of contractors servicing Eskom. This is achieved by checking the compliance of the health and safety file of contractors with the Safety, Health and Environmental specification checklist of Eskom. The study aims to investigate if the use of the checklist has improved contractors’ compliance by 2014. In order to achieve these aims, factors are addressed relating to the current state of construction health and safety legislation; the impact of construction health and safety on the economy; project parameters; roles and responsibilities of parties involved on construction sites; performance of small and emerging contractors. The study shows that established contractors always achieved higher compliance when compared to the emerging contractors. In 2014, 90% of contractors complied with the checklist, hence in 2015/16 the contractors can be expected to meet the 100% requirement, therefore complying with the Eskom value of “Zero Harm”.

published_or_final_version / Politics and Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Construction Management Department of the Built Environment in the Faculty of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2014 / The construction industry contributes significantly to national economic growth and offers substantial opportunities for job creation; however the industry has continually been plagued by workplace accidents. Moreover, employers may not realize the economic magnitude of workplace injury and ill health arising from construction activities. These accidents represent a considerable economic and social burden to employers, employees and to society as a whole. Despite governments and organisations worldwide maintaining an on-going commitment towards establishing a working environment free of injury and disease, a great deal of construction accidents continues to frequent our society. Given the high rate of construction accidents experienced, employers are not entirely mindful of the actual costs of construction accidents, especially when considering the hidden or indirect costs of accidents. Various safety research efforts have attempted to quantify the true costs of worker injuries, however localised systematic information on cost of construction accidents at work is not readily available from administrative statistical data sources, therefore this study was carried out in order to estimate the costs, like lost workdays or lost income, are clearly visible and can readily be expressed in monetary value; for a large part however, economic consequences of accidents are somewhat hidden. Indirect costs following an accident may be disregarded, damage to the company image is difficult to quantify and pricing human suffering and health damage is subject to discussion. Nevertheless, it is possible to get an adequate insight into the costs of accidents and the potential benefits of accident prevention.

The construction workforce in South Africa is one that is ageing. This is a global phenomenon and necessitates research into how the older cohort of the construction work force can be optimally engaged. Optimum worker productivity, high quality products that meet the specifications required, and high levels of occupational safety and health are integral factors in achieving a sustainable workforce. The purpose of the research was to quantify the injury rates among older construction workers as well as to determine the events leading to these injuries, the nature of the injuries and the bodily locations affected. The costs associated with these injuries were investigated to understand whether there were any discernable differences between injuries to older and younger workers. Apart from the literature review, two statistical construction injury databases were analysed. Qualitative questionnaire based interviews were designed to gather information related to older construction workers. Questionnaires were sent to construction site managers to gauge their perceptions of older construction workers. The statistical data was collected from the Western Cape region and was for the period 1998 through 2005 while the interviews and questionnaire data were collected during 2008. xv The potential benefits to industry are a consolidation of injury information relating to older construction workers. This should assist construction managers with developing policies and implementing strategies to prevent or at least minimise injuries and minimise the related costs, with the aim of more effectively utilising their older workers and ultimately achieving a more sustainable construction industry. The study found that older workers sustained less injuries in total compared with younger workers. No discernable variances occurred between younger and older workers when it came to events leading to injuries (causes) and the type/nature of injuries. It was, however, found that for the body parts affected, older workers were more prone to certain injuries. Older workers sustained less severe injuries compared with their younger counterparts but the injuries were more costly. The research findings supported the notion that older workers receive less training than younger workers.

Introduction Despite the existence of data in the Labour Commissioner’s Accident and Occupational Diseases Register of Tanzania, trends in the frequency of work-related fatalities and severe injuries in the construction industry, in relation to the development of policies and regulatory frameworks over the years and their effectiveness as interventions, have not been systematically evaluated. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the regulatory framework, trends in the frequency of work-related fatalities and severe injuries among construction workers in Dar-es-Salaam Region, Tanzania, from January 1980 to December 2009. Methods The Accident Notification and Register was accessed from the Tanzanian Labour Department. Data were extracted from the register, coded and analyzed using SPSS. Chi square was used to test if injuries and fatalities in the construction industry and non-construction industries are influenced by introduction of regulatory bodies, legislation and policies during the baseline period (1980 – 1981) and subsequent time periods. Dependent variables were cases of injuries and fatalities in the construction industry and in the non-construction industries, while independent variables included duration during which the regulatory bodies, legislation and policies have been operational, age, sex, education and duration of employment. Results The introduction of regulatory bodies, legislation and policies was statistically significant in the reduction of reported cases in the construction industry across all time periods as compared to the baseline period. The adjusted risk of fatalities and work related injuries frequency in the construction industry decreased (OR 0.5; 95% CI 0.4 – 0.6 during 1998 – 2001) in almost all time periods compared to the baseline period except for the period between 1982 and 1985 (OR 1.2; 95% CI 1.0 to 1.3). Discussion This study is the first to be conducted in Tanzania. The study has shown that new governing bodies and the introduction of new policies and legislations that were introduced in the construction sector were effective in terms of reduction of reported accidents. The results of this study are similar to other studies that have conducted elsewhere. The studies that were conducted in US in 2001and 2003 to evaluate regulatory intervention on vertical falls found evidence that introduction of regulations was effective in preventing non-fatal and fatal injuries in the construction industry. Our results could have been confounded by other factors such as improvement of economic status, construction technologies and work practices. Recommendations In addition to establishment of regulatory bodies, legislation and policies to reduce the accidents, the focus should be also to change technology and practices on construction sites. A safety culture should also be emphasized / Thesis (M.Med.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.