How and to what extent do construction project features contribute to accidents? Insight for accident prevention

The implementation of effective accident prevention measures requires insight into how accidents occur and the extent to which accident causal factors contribute to accidents. Construction projects features (CPFs) such as the nature of project, method of construction, site restriction, project duration, procurement system, design complexity, level of construction, and subcontracting have been noted as being contributors to accident causation. However, how they contribute to accident causation and the extent of their contribution remain to be fully explored by research. An extensive review of health and safety (H&S) literature within the UK construction industry discusses the accident causal influence of CPFs to the end of providing preliminary insight into how and the extent to which CPFs contribute to accident causation. The study reveals that CPFs contribute to accident causation through the introduction of proximal accident causal factors and the extent of their contribution is influenced by the degree of prevalence of the proximal factors within the CPFs. The usefulness of this insight for preventing accidents right from the early stage of project procurement is subsequently presented. The application of the findings of the study will contribute towards achieving improved health and safety outcomes on construction projects.