Degrees of Connectivity Impact on Construction Worker Safety: Fid-Bau Portal

Degrees of Connectivity Impact on Construction Worker Safety

Alomari, Kasim / Gambatese, John

Studies of construction worker safety often focus on a single worker and accident causation theory to explain how and why accidents occur. Looking at safety from a different standpoint, the authors are working on an ongoing study regarding a concept which they call “Degrees of Connectivity” (DoC). To conduct the study, the researchers applied a mixed-methods approach to improve confidence in the research results that includes: industry surveys, an analysis of OSHA records, and process and behavioral observations on construction sites. Multiple survey questionnaires were distributed to project managers, engineers, workers, and foremen. Survey questions were divided into three groups: demographic, safety, and degrees of connectivity. The collected results at this stage of the research show that there is an impact of one worker on other workers regarding safety achievement. Moreover, the results reveal connectivities between workers and the design elements within the project being constructed. A scheme to represent the DoC concept has been established based on the study results and the identified interactions between workers and design elements. The DoC concept contributes to current practice by providing designers and constructors with a framework to assess the impact of the design on construction personnel before construction commences.