Subcontracting versus health and safety: An inverse relationship

The construction industry has an unenviable reputation of being one of the worst industries in the UK in respect of health and safety (H&S) performance. Among other factors, research points to subcontracting as one of the factors influencing safety performance on construction sites. With about 80% of construction works in the UK being subcontracted, clearly it has become imperative to investigate this inverse subcontracting-H&S relationship. This situation is exacerbated by the increasing complexity of construction technologies which inevitably implies growth in specialisation, hence an increase in subcontracting. A critique of literature on H&S and subcontracting shows that this phenomenon is attributable inter alia to the lack of resources by small subcontractors to enable them invest in H&S, ambiguities about H&S responsibilities arising from complex subcontracting relationships, and the fierce level of competition for contracts among subcontractors resulting in economic survival being prioritised over H&S. Putting these factors in context, the main arguments giving justification for the need for further research into this phenomenon are indicated. The critical research questions, research aim and objectives are also highlighted, thus setting the premise for research work to expound on these factors and offer suggestions for mitigating this inverse relationship.