Briefing: Cost of accidents in the construction industry of Oman

Abstract

In this paper, ongoing and planned projects for the financial year 2015–2016 in different sectors in Oman are presented. While specific focus is on the construction industry, the costs of accidents associated with the projects in different sectors are estimated by two criteria: considering the number of workers and projects value. Although the cost of accidents is accumulating to a huge amount, construction organisations and the government can play their role in reducing the number of accidents and thus the total costs of accidents in construction. The financial benefits of preventive cost of the accidents are discussed briefly. A better understanding of the financial benefits of improved safety performance will encourage construction organisations in Oman to enhance their safety performance. The role of a safety and health regulatory organisation for conducting inspections and enforcement of safety and health law is significantly important for overall construction safety improvement. Such organisations will not only improve the safety and health performance in construction and other sectors, but will also be a source of revenue and a support to the country's economy. For a more reliable and true cost of accidents, further research is recommended considering Oman's construction-specific factors to estimate the cost of accidents.