Construction Safety: A Vision for the Future

Abstract

All parties involved in major construction projects have risks, as well as expectations for reward. Risk or safety management can be defined as the process of analyzing exposure to loss and taking steps to eliminate the risk or reduce it to acceptable levels. This article reports that for greater value, lower costs, and reduced risks, the frontline engineers must aggressively incorporate safety concerns into project management. Construction industry groups found in the 1980s that by improving construction safety performance, the cost-effectiveness and competitiveness of the construction industry improved. Three examples of negative projects turned positive by rethinking safety issues are highlighted: Denver International Airport and the Washington (D.C.) and Los Angeles Metros. The article concludes with a description of the high-performance business model, which is based on sustained satisfaction to stakeholders, work processes, resources, and understanding and improving cultural and organizational characteristics. Construction safety must be an integral part of project management, not a separate process of the overall business operation.