Qualifications and Staffing Requirements of Safety Personnel in Construction: Fid-Bau Portal

Qualifications and Staffing Requirements of Safety Personnel in Construction

Awolusi, Ibukun / Marks, Eric / Vereen, Stephanie

The construction industry continues to rank as one of the most hazardous work environments. As a result, construction safety remains a critical concern for both practitioners and researchers. Several construction industry members and government agencies have identified a lack in the number of safety personnel within the construction industry. Also, there seems to be incongruity in the formulas and strategies used for determining appropriate safety health and environment staffing needs. The objective of this study was to collect and analyze information concerning safety professionals, including the number of safety employees engaged in the construction companies, their credentials, and their experience levels. A structured survey was developed and administered to safety personnel working in different construction companies in the United States to elicit information about safety professionals in the construction industry. The findings of the study indicate that construction firms engage a higher number of safety personnel to manage construction activities than the staffing size obtained using the existing guides for determining staffing needs for safety professionals across industries. The findings also suggest that having the correct number of safety personnel with the required educational and professional qualifications can help reduce the total recordable incident rates (TRIR) of construction companies. Also, adequate staffing of safety personnel with the required educational and professional qualifications can enhance safety management in construction.