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Proactive and Advanced Research on Construction Safety Management

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A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction Management, and Computers & Digitization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 19621

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jaewook Jeong

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Guest Editor

Department of Safety Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech), Seoul, Republic of Korea
Interests: construction safety; design for safety; risk assessment; off-site construction; prefabrication; smart construction; accident investigation; construction engineering and management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Jaehyun Lee

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Guest Editor

Department of Safety Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech), 232 Gongneung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01811, Korea
Interests: construction safety; design for safety; accident probability; accident loss cost; smart safety management; material engineering and management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Daeho Kim

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, 35 St George St., Toronto, ON, Canada
Interests: construction management; robotic automation; total scene understanding; live digital twinning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, entitled “Proactive and Advanced Research on Construction Safety”. While there has been much in the way of research on occupational health and safety issues, the construction industry still shows poor safety levels in terms of accident likelihood and severity worldwide. Indeed, there is a need for advanced safety management and technology considering the life cycle of construction projects. This Special Issue covers the general areas relating to construction safety and management, including system, policy, organizational and technical aspects.

This Special Issue aims to collate state-of-the-art developments in this area; papers are invited that address the development of construction safety and management, including, but not limited to:

Construction safety policy and regulation.
Design for safety/prevention through design.
Construction safety management.
Accident analysis and investigation.
Digital and smart technology for safety.
Off-site construction for safety.
Worker behavior and safety.
Risk assessment.
Other topics on health and safety in construction.

We look forward to receiving your submissions.

Prof. Dr. Jaewook Jeong
Prof. Dr. Jaehyun Lee
Dr. Daeho Kim
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

construction safety
design for safety
safety management
accident analysis
digital and smart technology
worker behavior
risk assessment
occupational health and safety

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 9194 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Quantitative Assessment and Dynamic Reasoning Method for Emergency Response Capability in Prefabricated Construction Safety

by Shanrong Tang, Ke Zhu and Peiwen Guo

Buildings 2023, 13(9), 2311; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13092311 - 12 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 814

Abstract

In response to the common issues of lacking a comprehensive quantitative assessment system and insufficient dynamic understanding of emergency response capability in prefabricated construction safety, this study proposes a research methodology based on decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and fuzzy cognitive maps (FCM) to promote the construction of emergency response capacity. Firstly, a quantitative evaluation indicator system comprising 4 core categories of organizational management, personnel quality, technical measures, and emergency resources, along with 16 main categories, is established using grounded theory and three levels of coding approach. Subsequently, through a combination of expert surveys and quantitative analysis, DEMATEL is employed to unveil the causal relationships and key indicators of the evaluation criteria. Next, the DEMATEL and FCM models are integrated to conduct predictive and diagnostic reasoning analysis based on key indicators. Finally, a case study is conducted to validate the usability and effectiveness of the proposed model and methodology. The results demonstrate that indicators related to organizational management and personnel quality belong to the cause group, while technical measures and emergency resources fall into the effect group. The “completeness of emergency plans” exhibits the most significant influence on other indicators and is also the most influenced indicator by others. Predictive reasoning analysis reveals that well-controlled “emergency organizational structure and procedures” are crucial for enhancing emergency response capacity. Diagnostic reasoning analysis indicates that the improvement of emergency response capability should focus on enhancing the “completeness of emergency plans”. The synergistic effect between “emergency organizational structure and procedures” and “completeness of emergency plans” contributes to the enhancement of emergency response capability in prefabricated construction safety. The study holds both theoretical and practical significance for advancing safety management in prefabricated construction. Considering the dynamic coupling of multiple factors will be the primary direction of research in the field of safety management in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Proactive and Advanced Research on Construction Safety Management)

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17 pages, 635 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Examining the Relative Importance and Association between Safety Leadership Styles and Factors Affecting Organizational Safety Climate

by S. Senthamizh Sankar, K. S. Anandh, Sathyanarayanan Rajendran, Che Khairil Izam Che Ibrahim and Mariusz Szóstak

Buildings 2023, 13(8), 2062; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13082062 - 13 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1488

Abstract

This study identifies safety leadership factors affecting construction site safety and organizational safety climate, offering suggestions for adopting optimistic leadership styles and a zero-accident vision. The literature review is done exclusively for identifying factors and improving core knowledge. This study developed a questionnaire to examine the relationships between the organizational safety climate and the safety leadership styles. The questionnaire was distributed to construction companies from all over India. The statistical analysis encompassed 396 verified responses from the survey, yielding an impressive 79.20 percent response rate. The valid responses collected were analysed to find the relative importance index and the association between the categorical variables. The results showed that “personal safety knowledge” ranked the highest while performing the relative importance index analysis. Furthermore, the chi-square analysis found two pessimistic leadership styles, namely “laissez-faire leadership” and “management-by-exception”, significantly associated with the safety climate. The study implies that the target audience must avoid adopting the two pessimistic leadership styles to improve the organizational safety climate. This study examines the various safety leadership styles practised among construction professionals for the first time in India. Specifically, it identifies critical factors that affect the organizational safety climate and pessimistic leadership styles that diminish the safety outcomes of the construction site. The results act as an eye-opener for the targeted audience (like senior and middle-level management professionals, academicians, and upcoming researchers) to enhance the safety of construction sites by adopting optimistic leadership styles with an idea of a ‘zero accident’ construction premises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Proactive and Advanced Research on Construction Safety Management)

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18 pages, 4191 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Study of the Foremen’s Influence on the Safety Behavior of Construction Workers Based on Cognitive Theory

by Daniel Chukwunonso Nwagbala and Jong Yil Park

Buildings 2023, 13(7), 1792; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13071792 - 14 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1573

Abstract

In this study, a behavioral influence model based on cognitive theory was developed to investigate foremen’s influences on construction workers’ safety behavior. In the model, three foreman behaviors were considered, such as leading by example (LE), safety teaching (ST), and safety monitoring (SM). Five cognitive stages of a worker are also considered in the model, such as situation awareness, safety knowledge, subjective norm, safety attitude, and taking action. To obtain empirical data for the model parameters, a survey was conducted on a construction site in Seoul, South Korea, where the foreman–worker behavioral interactions and workers’ unsafe behavior of taking shortcuts were observed. The model was established as Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) using AnyLogic software. Four scenarios of foremen’s behavior were simulated using the model. The result shows that LE behavior has a positive, but weak significant influence on workers’ safety behavior. ST was found to have a positive and the most significant influence on workers’ safety behavior. Moreover, it should be provided with appropriate safety monitoring to maximize its effectiveness. The research findings promote stakeholders’ understanding of the influence of foremen on workers’ safety behavior and lead to the formation of informed policies and future research directions in the study field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Proactive and Advanced Research on Construction Safety Management)

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20 pages, 1854 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Safety Risk Assessment of Mine Metro Tunnel Construction Based on Fuzzy Bayesian Network

by Qiankun Wang, Jiaji Zhang, Ke Zhu, Peiwen Guo, Chuxiong Shen and Zhihua Xiong

Buildings 2023, 13(7), 1605; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13071605 - 25 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1220

Abstract

With the acceleration of urbanization, the construction of urban subway tunnel networks is advancing towards deeper, denser, and larger subterranean forms. Currently, there is a lack of systematic identification and dynamic reasoning analysis of factors throughout the entire process of subway tunnel construction using the mining method. To reduce the probability of accidents and improve safety risk management in the whole process of subway tunnel construction using the mining method, we propose a dynamic safety evaluation method based on Fuzzy Set Theory (FST) and Bayesian Network (BN). Firstly, based on the identification of main stages of the construction process using the Work Breakdown Structure, a safety risk evaluation index system for subway tunnel construction using the mining method was constructed according to the Risk Breakdown Structure. Secondly, by combining Fuzzy Set Theory, the Analytic Hierarchy Process, and the Bayesian Network, we established a dynamic safety risk evaluation model for subway tunnel construction using the mining method, based on FBN. Lastly, taking a large-section tunnel project using the mining method as an example, the effectiveness and accuracy of this model were verified. The results showed: (1) Causal reasoning analysis indicated that, under the condition of known prior probability, if the case reasoning result is greater than 5%, there is a significant possibility of a safety risk incident. The evaluation results of the model are basically consistent with the actual situation. (2) Diagnostic reasoning analysis revealed that factors such as the tunnel excavation method, the quality of the main waterproof construction, the quality of the detailed construction waterproofing, the design of the monitoring and measurement plan, and the results of the monitoring and measurements, are the main influences on the safety of subway tunnel construction using the mining method. (3) Secondary diagnostic reasoning demonstrated that repeated diagnostic reasoning for the main influencing factors, leading to an investigation path dominated by critical risk factors, can effectively reduce the overall project risk. This research is expected to provide useful insights for the scientific management of safety risks in the construction of subway tunnels using the mining method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Proactive and Advanced Research on Construction Safety Management)

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15 pages, 1166 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relative Risk (RR) Analysis and Prediction as Part of Assessing Occupational Safety and Determining Priorities for Action in Occupational Health and Safety in the Construction Industry in Poland

by Tomasz Małysa

Buildings 2023, 13(5), 1304; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13051304 - 17 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1244

Abstract

Risks are associated with every human activity. Accidental events are recorded in enterprises in the construction industry every day. Those events differ among themselves in the severity of consequences and the number of victims. It is important to reduce them effectively based on the conclusions of accident rate analyses. The study outlines the process of relative risk (RR) analysis and carries out a process of quantitative data prediction to determine priorities for action in the area of accident risk reduction. For the construction industry, being the subject of the analyses, statistical data on the number of persons injured in accidents at work in 2006–2021 were compiled, the relative risk (RR) was determined, and a prediction process using the Brown model and Winters’ model was performed. The relative risk analyses allowed for determining priorities for action in occupational health and safety. Based on the analyses, it was concluded that it is possible to adapt econometric models in the area of relative risk prediction, and the obtained forecast values may be the basis for taking actions regarding occupational health and safety. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Proactive and Advanced Research on Construction Safety Management)

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19 pages, 6232 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Near Real-Time 3D Reconstruction and Quality 3D Point Cloud for Time-Critical Construction Monitoring

by Zuguang Liu, Daeho Kim, Sanghyun Lee, Li Zhou, Xuehui An and Meiyin Liu

Buildings 2023, 13(2), 464; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020464 - 08 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3530

Abstract

Improving the rapidity of 3D reconstruction is vital for time-critical construction tasks such as progress monitoring and hazard detection, but the majority of construction studies in this area have focused on improving its quality. We applied a Direct Sparse Odometry with Loop Closure (LDSO)-based 3D reconstruction method, improving the existing algorithm and tuning its hyper-parameter settings, to achieve both near real-time operation and quality 3D point cloud simultaneously. When validated using a benchmark dataset, the proposed method showed notable improvement in 3D point cloud density, as well as loop closure robustness, compared to the original LDSO. In addition, we conducted a real field test to validate the tuned LDSO’s accuracy and speed at both object and site scales, where we demonstrated our method’s near real-time operation and capability to produce a quality 3D point cloud comparable to that of the existing method. The proposed method improves the accessibility of the 3D reconstruction technique, which in turn helps construction professionals monitor their jobsite safety and progress in a more efficient manner. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Proactive and Advanced Research on Construction Safety Management)

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19 pages, 3193 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantitative Risk Evaluation by Building Type Based on Probability and Cost of Accidents

by Jayho Soh, Jaewook Jeong, Jaemin Jeong and Jaehyun Lee

Buildings 2023, 13(2), 327; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020327 - 21 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1767

Abstract

The construction industry has the highest frequency of injuries and fatal accidents compared to other industries. Therefore, an accurate evaluation of the level of risk is necessary to effectively manage accidents in the construction industry. Although risk assessments are used in the construction industry to identify and reduce risk, they are carried out qualitatively by the subjective opinion of safety managers. Therefore, this study proposed a quantitative risk assessment based on the risk levels of 17 building facilities. Moreover, this study classified the building facilities into groups of similar risk levels. This study involved five steps. The results of the study indicated that in terms of both accident probability and financial losses, the facility type with the highest risk ranking was “Residential buildings” (5.92). The risk assessment method proposed in this study can contribute toward reducing accidents by identifying the exact risk level for each facility type. Moreover, clients and contractors can utilize this study and its findings as a basis for different safety management approaches depending on the risk group level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Proactive and Advanced Research on Construction Safety Management)

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24 pages, 5091 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Proposal for the Integration of Health and Safety into the Design of Road Projects with BIM

by Darío Collado-Mariscal, Juan Pedro Cortés-Pérez, Alfonso Cortés-Pérez and Antonia Cuevas-Murillo

Buildings 2022, 12(10), 1753; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101753 - 20 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2633

Abstract

The high number of accidents in the construction sector makes the concept of prevention through design (PtD), which starts with the integration of an occupational risk assessment in this phase, increasingly important. To this end, BIM (building information modelling) is a methodology that provides benefits related to the management of health and safety in the design phase. Its application in linear work projects is less developed than its application in building, even more so with regard to health and safety in BIM. This research proposes a methodology for integrating risk assessment into the design phase of BIM road projects, structuring the information, establishing the information integration processes, its analysis and risk management, and automating its integration into the model through zones. As a result, the research enables risk assessment in the BIM model through zones, differentiating risk values and allowing for the analysis of interferences between certain activities and the study of other specific activities in the design. As a result of the structure and organisation of the data, it is possible to export the data to IFC for coordination with other stakeholders. Thus, the final contribution of the research is the introduction of health and safety into road projects conducted with BIM, in compliance with legal requirements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Proactive and Advanced Research on Construction Safety Management)

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21 pages, 1878 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Requirements Analysis for Development of Off-Site Construction Project Management System: Focusing on Precast Concrete Construction

by YeEun Jang, JeongWook Son and Sungjoo Hwang

Buildings 2022, 12(10), 1499; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101499 - 21 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2174

Abstract

There has been increasing interest in the off-site construction (OSC) method in response to issues such as stagnant labor productivity, shortage of skilled workers, challenging site management, heightened safety and health-related regulations, and the push for carbon neutrality. Although efficient performance of an OSC project requires development of management techniques, and application of a management system that reflects the characteristics of the OSC projects, related technologies remain in their infancy. In this study, targeting precast concrete (PC) construction, which is one of the representative construction types of the OSC method, we derive the characteristics of OSC project management in six aspects: production place and time, production process, production method of construction, production method, production entity and facilities, and production environment. Based on this result, we further derived the requirements for developing an OSC project management system. Furthermore, based on the derived requirements, we constructed a system development scenario for the establishment of an installation plan and shipment requests. The managerial characteristics and requirements of the OSC project, presented in this study, provide the theoretical basis for developing OSC project management techniques, as well as guidance for the development of the OSC project management system in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Proactive and Advanced Research on Construction Safety Management)

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24 pages, 4516 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

A Bibliometrics-Based Systematic Review of Safety Risk Assessment for IBS Hoisting Construction

by Yin Junjia, Aidi Hizami Alias, Nuzul Azam Haron and Nabilah Abu Bakar

Buildings 2023, 13(7), 1853; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13071853 - 21 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1448

Abstract

Construction faces many safety accidents with urbanization, particularly in hoisting. However, there is a lack of systematic review studies in this area. This paper explored the factors and methods of risk assessment in hoisting for industrial building system (IBS) construction. Firstly, bibliometric analysis revealed that future research will focus on “ergonomics”, “machine learning”, “computer simulation”, and “wearable sensors”. Secondly, the previous 80 factors contributing to hoisting risks were summarized from a “human–equipment–management–material–environment” perspective, which can serve as a reference point for managers. Finally, we discussed, in-depth, the application of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and digital twins (DT). ANNs have improved the efficiency and accuracy of risk assessment. Still, they require high-quality and significant data, which traditional methods do not provide, resulting in the low accuracy of risk simulation results. DT data are emerging as an alternative, enabling stakeholders to visualize and analyze the construction process. However, DT’s interactivity, high cost, and information security need further improvement. Based on the discussion and analysis, the risk control model created in this paper guides the direction for future research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Proactive and Advanced Research on Construction Safety Management)

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