Abstract:
Construction safety has always been a major concern in the construction industry of Pakistan. Towards minimizing safety hazards and incidents different strategies apply to different project phases. However, as the early identification and elimination of potential safety hazards is not only more effective but also cost effective. One of such strategies, Design for Construction Safety (DfCS), which is defined as the process of elimination of hazards or mitigation of its risks by deliberately addressing construction site safety during the design phase so as to produce a structure that is easy to construct. It has the ability to function effectively in the current building industry of Pakistan without requiring any major changes in procedure.
Through questionnaire survey and interviews of Architecture/ Engineering/ Construction (AEC) professionals, this study investigate the current practice and barriers of addressing construction worker safety when designing a building project and determine the feasibility and practicality of DfCS concept. The study found that DfCS is absent in standard design practice but a large number of AEC professionals are interested and willing to implement the DfCS concept in practice. The study identified impediments to implement DfCS concept include designers' concern about, increased cost, schedule problems and absence of contracts and regulations, designers' lack of safety knowledge and expertise. This research contributions are collectively intended to enhance and increase DfCS implementation on projects towards improving construction safety. AEC professionals believed DfCS as their ethical and moral obligations to eliminating hazards early in the design phase.
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Through education and training of DfCS, including this concept in contracts and regulations, advancement in the technology such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and increased design detail can enhanced DfCS implementation in building projects. This research further emphasized that the better coordination between stakeholders and design-build project delivery method offers more opportunity and fewer barriers for DfCS implementation. This research also presents a framework for the implementation of design for construction safety. Framework proposed the modification in conventional processes which are practicing in the building projects of Pakistan
