Can Design Improve Construction Safety?: Assessing the Impact of a Collaborative Safety-in-Design Process
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 131, Issue 10
Abstract
This paper analyzes the impact of a large-scale safety-in-design initiative during the design and construction of a semiconductor manufacturing facility in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Drawing on multiple data sources including individual interviews, group interviews, construction documentation, and an expert panel involved in the initiative, the writers identify 26 potential design changes on the project and assess the importance of timing, trade contractor involvement, and the type of design change in determining whether a proposed design change was ultimately integrated into the final construction plans. The writers further consider whether adopted design changes would have occurred in the absence of the safety-in-design initiative and whether the accepted design changes ultimately impacted construction site safety on the project. This analysis of a full-scale safety-in-design initiative provides important insights into how injury prevention efforts in the construction industry can begin upstream by involving designers, engineers, and trade contractors in preconstruction processes.
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Acknowledgments
The writers wish to acknowledge the essential contributions of the following members of their research team: Tony Barsotti, Billy Gibbons, Don Gerber, and Bill Hardwick. They are also deeply indebted to the following organizations and individuals for the access, insights, and time they provided to our research efforts: Intel Corporation: Jon Preston, Mike Porter, and Brian Mattson; Industrial Design and Construction: Terry Wheeler and Catherine Myers; Hoffman Construction: Cliff McDonald. Funding for this research was provided by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health through The Center to Protect Workers’ Rights, NIOSH Grant No. UNSPECIFIEDU02/CCU317202.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 131 • Issue 10 • October 2005
Pages: 1125 - 1134
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Sep 10, 2004
Accepted: Nov 29, 2004
Published online: Oct 1, 2005
Published in print: Oct 2005
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