Technical Papers
Feb 18, 2016

Direction for Generating Interest for Design for Construction Worker Safety—A Delphi Study

Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 142, Issue 8

Abstract

Decisions made prior to construction impact the safety of construction workers. Past research has shown that there is a link between design decisions and fatalities. Prevention through Design (PtD) is a concept that attempts to identify and mitigate hazards early in the design process with the goal of eliminating the risks of injury to workers and/or damage to facilities during construction. PtD is a required practice in some countries, primarily because of legislation. In the United States, however, PtD is not well known by design professionals and there is opposition to its practice. The objective of this paper is to present the results of a Delphi study, in which the Delphi panel was tasked to identify: (1) the construction industry group with the most influence to generate interest in PtD in the United States, (2) the method with which that interest can be achieved, and (3) the industry group that should be targeted with that method. The Delphi panel came to a consensus that owners have the greatest influence to generate interest, and they should be the group to be targeted using the business case method.

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Go to Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 142Issue 8August 2016

History

Received: Aug 5, 2015
Accepted: Dec 1, 2015
Published online: Feb 18, 2016
Discussion open until: Jul 18, 2016
Published in print: Aug 1, 2016

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Authors

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Nicholas Tymvios, A.M.ASCE [email protected]
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Engineering Technology and Construction Management, Univ. of North Carolina-Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28223-0001 (corresponding author). E-mail: [email protected]
John A. Gambatese, M.ASCE [email protected]
Professor, School of Civil and Construction Engineering, Oregon State Univ., 101 Kearney Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331. E-mail: [email protected]

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