To enhance workplace safety in the construction industry it is important to understand interrelationships among safety risk factors associated
with construction accidents. This study incorporates the systems theory into Heinrich's domino theory to explore the interrelationships of risks and
break the chain of accident causation. Through both empirical and statistical analyses of 9358 accidents which occurred in the U.S. construction
industry between 2002 and 2011, the study investigates relationships between accidents and injury elements (e.g., injury type, part of body, injury
severity) and the nature of construction injuries by accident type. The study then discusses relationships between accidents and risks, including
worker behavior, injury source, and environmental condition, and identifies key risk factors and risk combinations causing accidents. The research
outcomes will assist safety managers to prioritize risks according to the likelihood of accident occurrence and injury characteristics, and pay more
attention to balancing significant risk relationships to prevent accidents and achieve safer working environments.
© 2012 Elsevier Ltd. APM and IPMA. All rights reserved