OPERATIONAL SAFETY OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN PAKISTAN: AN EXPLORATORY EMPIRICAL STUDY USING FIELD DATA

Abstract

Even with enhanced knowledge and awareness, construction industry continues to rank among the most hazardous occupations in the world. Construction industry incurs thousands of fatalities and injuries to construction workers worldwide each year. Construction safety remains a matter of significant concern for different stake holders both in developed and developing countries. Pakistan like many other developing countries has failed to respond to latest technological improvements, thus continue to face burden of fatalities and injuries resulting from unsafe practices at construction sites. A number of studies in the past have evaluated the safety practices of construction projects with main focus on management aspects of construction safety such as firm safety policy, management commitment and skills, safety audits, integration of safety resources in time and cost schedules, improvisation of safety plan using worker feedback and experience, reward and punishment system, hazard analyses and reporting mechanism of accidents and near misses. However there are limited studies that have explored the actual on-site safety conditions of different construction projects and studied the use of personal protective equipment, excavation safety, ladder safety, lift safety and scaffold safety etc. Also there is no study at national level that has explored the relationship between overall onsite safety condition of a construction project and different project features and managerial aspects of a construction project’s safety. Using detailed literature review, managerial and operational aspects of construction projects safety were identified. Using expert opinion ranking of projects managerial and operational 6 factors was developed. Data from 45 different construction projects located in 3 different cities were collected and collated to estimate safety performance index for each project. It was revealed that large projects and projects being executed by foreign firms/ semi government organizations have better safety performance. Lastly an ordered probit model was developed to explore relationship between managerial and operational characteristics of the construction projects. Analyses reveled that projects being executed by firms having safety policy as part of bid evaluation, proper site visits by project management team, regular tool box meeting, availing services of a qualified safety supervisor, large contract size and higher percentage of skilled labor were having better overall on-site safety. The results of the present study shall enable national construction agencies to appropriately formulate strategies to enhance construction safety in Pakistan.