Identification and Analysis of Factors Affecting Safety on Construction Sites with Tower Cranes
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 135, Issue 1
Abstract
Tower cranes are the centerpiece of production on today’s typical building construction sites. Tower cranes hoist and transport a variety of loads near and above people, working under crowded conditions, occasionally with overlapping work zones, and often under time, budget, and labor constraints. This work regime further increases the safety risk on sites that are inherently hazardous workplaces. This paper presents the results of a study that identified the major factors affecting safety in tower-crane environments and evaluated the degree to which each factor influences ongoing safety on site. Use of statistical data on accidents was ruled out as a source of information due to the countless number of incidents that go unreported, the common inability of statistics to provide root causes, and the questionability of statistics as a predictor of accidents. The research methodology was therefore based on comprehensive questioning of an expert team that included the safety managers and equipment managers of leading construction companies. With the limited resources available for safety improvement and accident prevention, greater attention must be paid by all parties involved to those factors evaluated as highly affecting site safety due to tower-crane work.
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Acknowledgments
The writers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of the equipment managers, safety managers, and project managers, whose experience and expertise played an indispensable role in the success of this study. This research was supported by the Manof Fund for Safety and Hygiene at the Workplace, National Insurance Institute of Israel.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 135 • Issue 1 • January 2009
Pages: 24 - 33
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Apr 2, 2007
Accepted: Jul 1, 2008
Published online: Jan 1, 2009
Published in print: Jan 2009
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