Impacts of Last-Minute Changes on Construction Safety

Construction activities depend highly on many conditions, such as human factors, weather, and materials. These conditions are dynamic and may involve many unexpected changes that impact current or subsequent activities. Unexpected changes that occur at the last minute when there is little time to respond to the change and pressure to complete the work may lead to safety issues. However, there is no clear definition for a last-minute change and little information on how last-minute changes impact safety performance. This research presents a definition of last-minute change and utilizes an incident review rubric based on experts’ recommendations and literature reviews to assess the relationship between last-minute changes and safety. The researchers analyzed 179 fatality incidents reported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and associated states as part of the Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program. The analysis verified that many fatality incidents (29%) are related to last-minute changes. Moreover, the incidents can be categorized according to energy type and change characteristics to help understand the impact of last-minute changes on construction safety. The research results contribute knowledge to help construction teams understand the safety impacts of last-minute changes and prevent incidents caused by last-minute changes.