Case-Based Reasoning Approach for Assessing Safety Performance Using Safety-Related Measures
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 144, Issue 9
Abstract
Although the use of safety-related measures (SRM) has been advocated in the literature, construction companies often rely on reactive indicators instead of SRM to evaluate safety performance. A challenge with using SRM in practice arises when faced with the uniqueness of construction organizations. Distinctive practices and cultures affect the availability and quantity of data, which in turn limits the reliability of conventional SRM-based evaluation methods. This study proposes a case-based reasoning (CBR) approach that makes efficient use of existing SRM available within an organization to reliably evaluate safety performance. The model was validated using statistical tests to compare model output with actual performance. To test model applicability, we conducted a case study: based on information available in an industrial construction organization, including schedule performance and payroll data, 27 measures were identified. The results demonstrated that the proposed approach is able to evaluate safety performance trends in consideration of unique organizational characteristics using SRM. We expect that the model approach and results will support managers in tailoring safety goals and programs to particular contexts.
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Data Availability Statement
Data analyzed during the study were provided by a third party. Requests for data should be directed to the provider indicated in the Acknowledgments. Information about the Journal’s data sharing policy can be found here: http://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001263.
Acknowledgments
This work was generously supported by PCL Industrial Management Inc. and was funded by a Collaborative Research and Development Grant (CRDPJ 492657) from NSERC. Please note that the conclusions of this work may not reflect the views of the funding agencies.
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Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 144 • Issue 9 • September 2018
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 29, 2017
Accepted: Apr 9, 2018
Published online: Jul 6, 2018
Published in print: Sep 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Dec 6, 2018
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