Prevention through Design (PtD) Education for Future Civil Engineers in Malaysia: Current State, Challenges, and Way Forward
Publication: Journal of Civil Engineering Education
Volume 147, Issue 1
Abstract
The lack of prevention through design (PtD) education in higher education institutions has long been recognised in construction literature. Despite the fact that some of the institutions have embedded PtD education in their curricula, it is often not addressed in engineering curricula in higher education institutions in developing countries, such as Malaysia. Due to the recent introduction of the Occupational Safety and Health in Construction Industry (Management) [OSHCI(M)] guideline, which is based on the PtD concept, the need to incorporate the PtD concept and skills in engineering programs is crucial, as part of early safety education for future engineers. In order to address this gap in the body of knowledge, this study aims to investigate the current state of safety education in general and PtD in specific, in order to understand the extent the subject has been covered within the curricula of civil engineering programs in Malaysian higher educational institutions. A qualitative research methodology via case studies of seven public universities was adopted. The findings indicated that not only is the level of PtD education in civil engineering programs almost nonexistent, but the occupational health and safety (OHS) education itself was only covered to a certain extent. This significant gap has led to recommendations including the need for institutional dynamism in the context of incorporating OHS subjects, interactive OHS teaching and learning, technology-driven education, and the improving the competency of OHS lecturers. This study could act as a reference for the industry, accreditation bodies, and educational institutions to understand the status quo of PtD education for future engineers towards OSHCI(M) implementation. The findings also extend the knowledge of PtD education in construction literature, subsequently providing insights for wider incorporation of PtD in civil engineering programs.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code generated or used during the study (numerical and raw text data) are proprietary or confidential in nature and may only be provided with restrictions (anonymized data and identifiable information (i.e., organization name and interviewee name) will be removed).
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) Malaysia for the financial support of this study. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) Malaysia.
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Journal of Civil Engineering Education
Volume 147 • Issue 1 • January 2021
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© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Apr 24, 2020
Accepted: Jun 11, 2020
Published online: Aug 29, 2020
Published in print: Jan 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Jan 29, 2021
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