Construction is a dangerous business. In 2010, the industry accounted
for more fatalities than any other industry in the United
States . Additionally, construction
injuries are expensive and account for over $8 billion in direct costs
each year .
Construction safety researchers have continued to call for further
safety improvements and, in the last 30 years,
many have endeavored to create or disseminate knowledge that
enhances safety performance. Researchers have investigated safety
at a number of levels, including microlevel personal factors such as
personal distractions that lead to fatalities , project level
factors related to the immediate physical environment such
as work visibility and heavy equipment ,
and the organization-level factors like culture .
Most recently, researchers have set their sights on higher-level systematic
factors such as the interplay between construction safety
and design and safety knowledge management
. Despite the wealth of construction worker
safety and health literature, injuries and illnesses continue to occur
at alarming rates.
It is well established that the project cost, quality, safety,
and duration are core elements that contribute to project success.
Construction organizations tend to invest in management strategies
that enhance performance in all of these areas. Unfortunately, when
resources are limited, investments must be prioritized and may be
in conflict. For example, Hinze and Parker collected empirical data
that showed that an increase in schedule pressure decreased safety
performance. This finding is supported
by other theoretical and conceptual models like that presented
by Mitropoulos et al. Additionally, Hallowell found
that suboptimal safety investments will yield higher injury rates
and costs related to safety (Hallowell 2011). Thus, organizations
that wish to enhance budget performance by cutting safety costs
may see additional injuries and associated expenses. Finally, there
is a general understanding of the financial implications of project
delays. For example, the relationship between time and cost i