Designer, Contractor, and Owner Views on the Topic of Design for Construction Worker Safety

Abstract

The construction industry is one of the largest and most dangerous industries in the US, where in 2009 the industry accounted for 834 deaths; more than any other industry. The incidence rate of 9.9 deaths per 100,000 workers puts the construction industry in fourth place behind the Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing/Hunting, Transportation/Warehousing, and Mining sectors (BLS 2011). The cause of a large number of these construction deaths can be attributed to factors that are distant from the construction site. A European study has shown that 60% of fatal accidents in construction are caused by decisions made "upstream" from the construction site (European Foundation 1991). Similarly, an Australian study showed that 63% of fatalities and injuries are attributed to a lack of planning and design decisions (NSW Workcover 2001), while in the US, Behm found that 42% of construction site fatalities can be linked to design (Behm 2005). With such overwhelming evidence, foreign governments have initiated efforts to make designers aware of the impact of their decisions and design choices. These efforts include new legislation and improved guidelines (EEC 1992; NSW Workcover 2001) that aim to reduce the construction hazards linked to design. In the US, designers are mostly unaware of the concept of Design for Construction Worker Safety (DCWS), or even that their design decisions can affect the safety of the construction workforce. Professional organizations regularly resist change and refuse to even consider participating in the DCWS concept that would eventually assist in the improvement of construction site working conditions (Toole 2011). The research presented in this paper represents the results gathered from a survey of the opinions of the primary construction industry participants (owners, designers, and contractors) on the topic of DCWS. The population of the survey was obtained from four different groups. Contractors who responded to the survey were randomly selected from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) directory. Designers were randomly selected from two sources: the American Institute of Architects (AIA) directory and the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) directory. To represent owner organizations, the researchers chose to include university representatives who participate in the construction of facilities on US university campuses. Through the survey, the authors investigate the extent of the acceptance of DCWS by industry participants, their opinions and identification of perceived obstacles or enablers of the concept, and the types of safety measures or safety plans they currently implement. The results of this research will assist construction professionals in determining the framework for a successful implementation of DCWS in the US construction industry. The implementation of DCWS by US professionals in their designs is important in an international construction market. Since DCWS is part of the design process in other countries, US designers wishing to practice in locations where DCWS is enforced by legislation, will find themselves at a disadvantage.