Integrating Safety and Health Performance into Construction CPM

TLDR

Construction accidents cause human tragedy, demotivate workers, disrupt projects, delay progress, and increase costs, underscoring the need for effective planning and control techniques. The study develops a knowledge‑intensive system that integrates safety and health performance into critical‑path method scheduling to enhance industry practice. The authors design and implement the IKIS‑Safety prototype, embedding safety and health knowledge into CPM software for real‑time control. The prototype demonstrates improved safety and health performance control, offering benefits such as reduced accidents, better scheduling, and cost savings.

Abstract

Construction accidents cause many human tragedies, demotivate construction workers, disrupt construction processes, delay progress, and adversely affect the cost, productivity, and reputation of the construction industry. Therefore, use of effective planning and control techniques to prevent them can have a significant human, social, and financial impact. This paper develops a framework for a computerized safety and health knowledge-intensive system that has been implemented and integrated with current critical path method (CPM) scheduling software. A discussion of current industry problems is initially presented to verify the need and approach taken. The purpose and rationale for a knowledge-intensive integrated system is presented to show how the development of such a system will improve on current industry practice. Next, the design and implementation of the system called IKIS-Safety—integrated knowledge-intensive prototype system for construction safety and health performance control—is described. Finally, the paper highlights the contributions and benefits of such a prototype system.