Barriers of Occupational Safety Implementation in Infrastructure Projects: Gaza Strip Case

Safety management implementation drivers for construction projects: a structural equation modelling approach

The construction industry is one of the hazardous fields due to its exceptional environment. Therefore, this work aimed to assess the essential drivers needed for employing safety management in the Palestinian construction industry. The drivers for safety management were recognized from earlier literature, where the questionnaires were dispersed to professionals from construction projects. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) technique was then performed to contextually adjust the identified drivers. The results showed that safety management drivers could be categorized into three constructs: management, awareness and policy. In addition, partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was performed to generate the safety management driver's model. The results indicated that management drivers were vital drivers for adopting safety management. The study's findings would act as a reference for construction stakeholders to decrease danger and enhance the construction project's success via implementing safety management drivers.

Local government institutions in Ghana: Core partners in health and safety performance in the construction industry

The potential contribution of district assemblies to improving health and safety in Ghana's construction industry has not been investigated. This paper attempts to identify the local government responsibilities that could influence health and safety performance in the construction industry and to develop a confirmatory factor model based on these responsibilities. The paper adopted a positivist philosophy and a deductive methodology. A literature search was conducted to identify the local government factors that could potentially impact health and safety performance in the Ghanaian construction industry. These factors were adapted and designed into a questionnaire, and the generated questionnaires were distributed to respondents for their feedback. It was identified using the relative importance index that "the development of sanctions for violating occupational health and safety statutory obligations," "the institution of local government occupational health and safety approval and certification for new projects," and "the creation of occupational health and safety departments and committees that are adequately resourced to assist the Department of Factories Inspectorate" were the three most important roles that district assemblies could play as partners to improve health and safety in the construction industry. Conversely, the multivariate analysis identified the evaluation of the safety policies and risk management plans of contractors and suppliers as the most important role local government institutions could play in improving health and safety in the construction industry. The result of the study suggests that local government efforts, when given the needed attention and support, could advance health and safety in the industry. The practical implication of the study is that it identifies the roles of district assemblies that could enhance health and safety in Ghana's construction industry. All district assemblies should consider implementing these health and safety initiatives in their districts and ensuring they are regularly enforced and evaluated.

Occupational health and safety practice in infrastructure projects

Objectives. This research intends to investigate the responsibilities of the parties engaged in the implementation phase of the infrastructure projects in occupational health and safety, i.e., the consultant and contractor. Methods. A questionnaire was developed through the selection and modification of the responsibilities from the literature review. Results. The statistical analysis results show that the consultants and contractors both ranked the item 'The owner requires the contractor to implement the occupational safety standards within the bid' first in the owner responsibilities, having 0.67 relative importance index (RII). In the responsibilities of the consultant, the first ranked item was 'The consultant has a role in adopting occupational safety plans and contingency plans', having 0.66 RII. In the responsibilities of the contractor, the first ranked item was 'The contractor shall provide the insurance cover for all project crews', having 0.71 RII. In the responsibilities of the workers, the first ranked item was 'Workers know the handling of tools and equipment within the project', having 0.59 RII. Conclusion. Overall, there was general agreement between consultants and contractors to classify and arrange items because both face the same conditions and have the same working environment.

Health and safety improvement in construction projects: a lean construction approach

Objectives. Lean construction techniques have been considered an effective approach and strategy to reduce accidents in construction projects. This article aims to investigate the application of the lean construction principle and its impact on occupational health and safety. Methods. To achieve the aim, an analytical descriptive method was used. The data were collected through a questionnaire, with 70 respondents who were chosen using a random stratified sample method. The questionnaire evaluated the perception of contractors and consultants about the important lean construction factors and their impact on construction project safety. Results. There is an agreement that the application of lean construction techniques can be impeded by challenges like lack of lean construction knowledge, complexity, misconception about lean construction and difficulties in changing employees. Conclusions. The study identified strategies that could be used to address these challenges that will improve the safety of construction projects. These include enlightenment on benefits of the lean practice, publication of improvements realized from lean practice, training, workers' involvement and empowerment, persistence, robust planning and gradual implementation.